Legacy of Greatness

The story of greatness is not always told by the builders, but by those who took what others built. It is a history where empires crumbled under foreign boots, their treasures hauled away in pickup trucks like the one I drove from L.A. to Savannah.

I imagine people sitting atop riches, declaring themselves masters of the universe, and teaching their children that merit, not conquest, brought them to where they are today.

This narrative, repeated across generations, is a kind of myth—a myth that Western wealth and development are the natural result of inherent superiority. The truth is that much of what is celebrated as Western advancement was built on the backs of others: from the gold and labor extracted from the Americas and Africa to the philosophies and inventions stolen from civilizations (and individuals) deemed "lesser" in kind.

Consider our story. No group has endured more systematic deprivation, sabotage, and oppression than African Americans. Torn from our homelands, stripped of language and culture, denied even the right to literacy for centuries. We began our American journey at less than zero. Yet, despite every obstacle, we have become a global cultural superpower—transforming music, literature, politics, and the very fabric of American identity.

Ours is legacy is one of creation, not destruction; of building community and culture in the face of relentless adversity.

How long can a society thrive when it invests in endless wars and the illusion of superiority.

The descendants of those who conquered have inherited not only the spoils but also the responsibility to confront these truths. True greatness is not measured by what one can take, but by what one can create and uplift.

As Donald Trump contemplates dropping more bombs on a 3,000-year-old civilization, the world continues to watch knowing that history is not as easily rewritten as it once was.

Happy Juneteenth!

Darrell Gartrell