>>> SINCE JUNETEENTH WAS MADE A FEDERAL HOLIDAY IN 2021, IT'S BECOME A TIME TO RE-EXAMINE WHERE CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT ABOUT BLACK HISTORY AND RECKONING WITH THE WAY STRUCTURAL RACISM HAS STIFLED AND SUPPRESSED TEACHING BLACK HISTORY IN OUR SCHOOLS.

TIKTOK CREATOR ERNEST CRIM THE THIRD SAYS FOR HIM, EXPLORING AND CREATING BLACK HISTORY CONTENT HAS BECOME MORE THAN AN INTELLECTUAL PURSUIT, IT ALSO HELPED HIM HEAL FROM ENCOUNTERING RACISM IN HIS OWN LIFE.

PRODUCER ERICA GUNDERSON HAS THE STORY.

>> HOW MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW WHAT STEPPING IS?

THAT WAS ACTUALLY FOUNDED BY BLACK GREEKS.

>> WHEN I GO IN, I'M COMING IN HIGH-ENERGY.

I'M RINGING MY DRONE, BECAUSE I'M TELLING A STORY.

THERE WAS A PERIOD IN TIME IN WHICH WE USED DRONES FOR LIBERATION, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY WERE MADE ILLEGAL.

>> Reporter: IN HIS 12 YEARS AS A HISTORY TEACHER, ERNEST CRIM THE THIRD USED TEACHING BLACK HISTORY AS A WAY TO NOT JUST EDUCATE HIS STUDENTS, BUT AFFIRM THEM.

HE SAYS LEARNING BLACK HISTORY SAVED HIS LIFE.

AND NOW, THROUGH ANTIRACISM WORKSHOPS AND ON TICK-TOCK, HE WANTS TO DO THE SAME FOR OTHERS.

>> ALL RIGHT, WHO'S GOING FIRST, THOUGH?

I'M FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO.

I WENT TO MORGAN PARK HIGH SCHOOL, THEN I WENT DOWN BY CHAMPAGNE, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO TAKE A BLACK HISTORY COURSE, AND I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.

IT BECAME THE DRIVING FORCE FOR ME, GETTING MY GRADES UP AND GRADUATING.

I WAS LEARNING SO MUCH INFORMATION.

TO ME, IT WAS LIKE SETTING LIGHT ON THE ISSUES IN CHICAGO FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

>> WHEN WE WERE FIRST OVER HERE, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF ENSLAVEMENT.

>> THE GREAT MIGRATION.

OH, OKAY.

AGGREGATION, REALIGNING.

THAT'S WHAT I'M IN.

AND WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE, I CAN USE THE -- SO WHAT IF I WAS ABLE TO GET THE SAME INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE OF MY COMMUNITY ?

AND TO ME, IT WAS A THING THAT WOULD BE USED FOR OUR LIBERATION, MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY.

>> WHAT'S UP Y'ALL?

>> CREAMS PATH TO BECOMING A CONTENT CREATOR ON SOCIAL MEDIA BEGAN IN PART DUE TO A 2016 INCIDENT WHEN HE AND HIS WIFE WERE VERTICALLY AND PHYSICALLY ATTACKED BY A WHITE WOMAN AT A FESTIVAL.

>> SHE BEGAN TO YELL AT US AND CALL US THE N-WORD BECAUSE WE GRABBED THE BAG, AND SHE EVENTUALLY -- >> CRIM POSTED VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT TO SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE WOMAN WAS IDENTIFIED AND LATER CONVICTED OF BATTERY.

HE SAYS THE EXPERIENCE INSPIRED HIM TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ANTIRACISM AND BLACK HISTORY CONTENT.

>> I DECIDED TO MAKE A TIKTOK, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT'S WHERE ALL MY KIDS WERE.

ALL MY STUDENTS WERE ON THERE.

AND IT TOOK OFF.

>> CREAMS TICK-TOCK'S RANGE FROM STORIES OF HISTORICAL FIGURES TO CONTEXTUALIZING CURRENT EVENTS.

>> WHENEVER SHE SAW A SLAVE CATCHER IN ACTION, SHE PULLED OUT THAT THING, THAT KNIFE.

>> TALK ABOUT BUFFALO, NEW YORK, DON'T FORGET TO MENTION THAT BUFFALO WAS AN EPICENTER FOR BLACK LIBERATION DURING SLAVERY.

>> JUDGING BY HIS MORE THAN 375,000 FOLLOWERS, HIS CONTENT IS STRIKING A CHORD.

STANDING BESIDE THE MONUMENT TO THE GREAT MIGRATION IN BROWNSVILLE, CRIM REFLECTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEING BLACK STORIES PROMINENTLY DEPICTED IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

>> THIS IS WHERE MY FAMILY STORY STARTS IN RECENT HISTORY.

MY FAMILY ON BOTH SIDES CAME TO CHICAGO ON THE SOUTH SIDE IN THE 1950s.

>> AND BY MAKING BLACK HISTORY MORE VISIBLE TO ALL, CRIM SAYS HE'S DOING HIS PART TO HELP CORRECT THE AMERICAN RECORD.

>> ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT MY STORY IS WANTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT EDUCATION IS GOING TO START WITH US FIRST AND FOREMOST.

YOU KNOW, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE STATE U.S. OR AMERICAN, WE'RE STARTING FROM A U.S. EUROCENTRIC NARRATIVE.

OFTENTIMES, BECAUSE OF THAT, OUR STORIES ARE ADDED AS A FOOTNOTE AS OPPOSED TO BEING TAUGHT IN CONJUNCTION, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE THIS COUNTRY WAS A NATION.

SO IT'S LIKE, TO NOT UNDERSTAND OUR HISTORY IS TO MISS OUT ON WHAT AMERICA IS TODAY.

>> Reporter: FOR CHICAGO