Black History 365: Solution-oriented education with respect
By Rusty Wright
In today’s racially polarized world, how could a white guy from Canada connect with Black audiences, advance African American culture, and stimulate racial self-esteem with civil discourse? Widely traveled speaker and educator Joel A. Freeman, Ph.D., co-authored Black History 365, a tech-savvy curriculum for K-12 that helps teachers and students grapple with tough issues, deal with emotional elephants, and promote racial harmony.
Freeman and co-author Dr. Walter Milton, Jr., a former longtime school superintendent who is Black, are committed to helping people understand that Black history did not begin with slavery. Buoyed by over 3,000 original artifacts, they connect ancient African history with stories of Blacks through the centuries and in modern times.
Action-oriented solutionists
Milton and Freeman seek to assist “students of all ethnicities to engage in meaningful conversations with teachers, peers, and their families … through the lens of Black History.” Their material invites students to become “critical thinkers, compassionate listeners, fact-based, respectful communicators,” and “action-oriented solutionists.” Admirable goals in a polarized society. The program includes Native American, Latin, and European history.
The BH365® curriculum is in 10,000 classrooms in 1,000 U.S. cities in 34 states, involving 420 school districts, both public and private.
The BH365® organization has attracted notable leaders. The advisory board includes former UN Ambassador and civil rights activist Andrew Young, MLK niece and Christian communicator Alveda King, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, and music legend Smokey Robinson.
From dope-smoking hippie to mentor
Freeman’s backstory is enlightening, as he filled me in when we spoke and as he explains in his booklet Hurricane Bigotry. Raised in rural western Canada, he knew little of Black culture. Racism and bigotry there more often were directed toward Indigenous people, though his parents did not exhibit that trait. A troublemaker expelled from high school in 1971, he spent 21 months hitchhiking around North America as a longhaired, dope-smoking hippie and skeptic (his words).
Fast forward to 1978-79. Freeman linked with Black professional basketball players Kevin Porter and Elvin Hayes and became one of the first NBA mentors/chaplains. What had happened?
A surprising change
In 1972, Freeman says, he “experienced a profound and surprising change when I became a follower of the Jesus of the Bible.” Intensive biblical studies plus maturation followed as he coped with his “juvenile thinking, immature behavior, and self-centeredness.” The process he describes evokes the biblical affirmation that “anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
His new life brought relationships that would impact his future. His Washington Bullets/Wizards NBA tenure lasted 20 seasons.
Testing his trustworthiness early on, Black players began to ask him questions like, “What part did people of African descent play in biblical and extra-biblical history?”and “What did Jesus look like?” Freeman had no answers, so he began to study African history, a decades long pursuit to better understand Black experiences, positive and negative. BH365® themes were forming.
Like a hurricane
His studies sensitized him to emotional intelligence and to racism’s deeply personal impact. Today, he often asks Black audiences, “Do you remember the moment when you realized that the rules were somehow different for you, simply because of the color of your skin?” One answer especially moved him. A Black man told him it was “as if a hurricane force wind began to blow.” Freeman prays that the hurricane metaphor will touch hearts and minds and promote “love, kindness, and mutual respect.”
A political Independent, Freeman likes to engage diverse audiences in questions about controversial topics like: Uncle Tom, three-fifths human, reparations, statue demolition, founding fathers’ racial behavior, the Arab slave trade, and more. He aims to help people of all backgrounds learn how their adversaries think and feel, discuss with civility, and seek solutions to conflict.
Could our world – your world – use more communication like this?
www.BlackHistory365education.com
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. Encouraging racial harmony and civil discourse are longtime personal passions. www.RustyWright.com
Copyright © 2025 Rusty Wright
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