This talk explores how the mainstream and African Americans narrate the events of Reconstruction, The Black Power Movement, and Black Lives Matter, three events in American history that have often been subject to misinterpretations in dominant culture. To analyze the discussions of these eras, I use the concepts of whitesplaining and Afroplaining.

Whitesplaining operates under the belief that African Americans are unequipped to function in American culture without a degree of dependency on whites. Thus, it dictates that whites are better spokespersons about the Black experience. In response, African Americans create Afroplaining, which uses direct language to challenge dominant narratives and reaffirm African American identity. Thus, this presentation examines how these dual narratives affect the discussion of Reconstruction, The Black Power Movement, and Black Lives Matter in mainstream culture.