50 Photos That Shine A Light On Some Of The Darkest Parts Of History

History is the most exciting story ever told. It has infinite characters, the plots are true yet often unbelievable, and there is something for everyone: romance, intrigue, suspense, comedy, tragedy, and more. But the most exciting and cheerful moments are what many of us like to focus on, as to not feel guilt or shame for our ancestors’ actions. Sometimes, however, we need a reminder of some of the darkest moments to humble ourselves and be reminded that nothing is impossible. If these events took place once, they are likely to be repeated unless we collectively agree to stop them.

This list features some upsetting and disturbing photos, but they are parts of the past that cannot be forgotten. Of course, every country and group of people has their own unique history, so we are not all responsible for racism or genocide. But continuing to stay aware of these tragedies of the past can keep them in the past. Especially if your people were the victims in some of these horrific, photographed events, this list might not be for you. But for my fellow pandas who can handle these disturbing photos, strap in for your dark history lesson of the day.

Among the many terrible events humans have caused throughout history, the Holocaust is certainly one of the most famous. As 6 millions Jews were murdered at the hands of the Nazis, as well as countless other disabled people, gay people, Slavs, Romani people, and anyone who opposed Hitler openly, the Holocaust is an extremely dark time to look back on. However, it is very important that the history of World War II and the Holocaust are still taught, today and for generations to come. 

According to the Montreal Holocaust Museum, we must be educated on this horrific event to understand the impact of history on our society. It was a shocking atrocity that helped transform international politics and justice, as people did not know the warning signs to look out for until it was too late. It seems so blatantly obvious that what the Nazis were doing was wrong, but the fact that it ever happened in the first place cannot be overlooked. We have since used this event to study democracy, dictatorships, propaganda, genocide, intervention, resistance, to try to ensure that it never happens again.    

The Montreal Holocaust Museum also notes on their website that even though this was a horrific time in history, the most important thing to focus on when discussing the Holocaust is the victims. The people who lost their lives, family members, and homes are important to talk about because it can be hard to relate to ridiculously large numbers and sterile statistics. The stories of individuals should be told, so we can relate and empathize with the experience they endured as human beings. Millions of people were subjected to unimaginable torture, pain and loss, and their stories cannot be forgotten. 

Lists like this help us empathize with those who have suffered immense trauma in the past. It is one thing to hear about atrocities, but it can be far more impactful to see the faces of the people who had limbs blown off in war, were enslaved due to the color of their skin, or were the perpetrators inflicting this pain on others. When we see these dark parts of history through photographs, we cannot deny the harsh reality that these events took place.  

It is important for us to be educated on the bleakest moments in history, so we can prevent them from being repeated. And while Germany has made an enormous effort to reconcile with the world following the events of World War II and to ensure their citizens are educated about the dangers of dictators and fascism, not every nation has learned to bring their darkest moments to light. In the United States, for example, everyone is taught about slavery in school, to an extent. But last year, Republican lawmakers in several US states filed bills attempting to cut funding to schools and colleges teaching lessons from the New York Times’ 1619 Project, curriculum which “aims to reframe the country's history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the United States' national narrative”. Slavery is allowed to be taught in schools, but some lawmakers aim for it to be taught only through a specific and curated lens that paints the nation in the most flattering light.  

The 1619 Project, which was created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and first published in 2019, won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. It is a comprehensive guide featuring audio, essays, poems, graphics and visual art pieces that many Americans were not taught or exposed to from their traditional history books. But as race relations continue to be an issue in the United States, as racism persists against Black citizens even today, students (and adults for that matter) can certainly benefit from a more in-depth history lesson on slavery. Yet some people still want to gloss over the more shameful details of the nation’s past as to not acknowledge its wrongdoings. “Do we want historical facts and details that are researched and published by experts taught? Or do we want nationalism taught?” asks T. Jameson Brewer, an assistant professor at the University of North Georgia. “That’s a very scary sort of suggestion, that schools would engage in ideological nationalism for political needs.”

Unfortunately, some states do push for patriotic education over the teaching of facts. In November 2020, Governor Reeves of Mississippi proposed spending $3 million on a ‘Patriotic Education Fund’ that would encourage schools and nonprofits to apply for funding to “educate the next generation on the incredible accomplishments of the American Way”. And if your impulse is to give Governor Reeves the benefit of the doubt, that maybe he just loves his country and did not mean that the way it sounds, you might be interested to know that one of the budget proposals stated, “Across the country, young children have suffered from indoctrination in far-left socialist teachings that emphasize America’s shortcomings over the exceptional achievements of this country.” Turning a blind eye to a nation's past mistakes is a surefire way to guarantee that they are repeated in the future, yet Governor Reeves does not seem concerned about that.

We all know that sweeping issues under the rug does not make them disappear. Whether it’s an argument with our significant other that we’ve been avoiding out of fear of confrontation or the painful past of a nation, refusing to address a problem only exacerbates it. It may take time for history to repeat itself, but it naturally does, unless something is done to prevent it. “You cannot heal divisions by pretending they don’t exist,” says James Grossman, the executive director of the American Historical Association. “The way to address divisions is to understand the history of those divisions.” A great way to confront the most horrific parts of history is to see photos of them. It may feel like these events took place ages ago, but there is photographic evidence of them. We should not feel too far removed from any of these occurrences.