Black History Month

[jockslap]

In Canada we have a funny little thing called black history month. I don't get it. I mean, maybe it's just me but i think its even a little racist, maybe not intentionally but it seems like yet another seperation based on skin colour. I could be totally wrong, but i have a few black friends and they agree with me, in fact one of them was the one to bring it to my attention. But the thing is this. Was it really necessary? Way i figure it black history is just as interesting as white history, and yellow history, and brown history (notice how yellow and brown history sound a little stupid?)

and yes, i did a search and noticed that there where a few threads on this but nothing really matches my question (i just skimmed)

 

[Gxas]

I do, for the most part, agree with you. Although recognizing the great black inventors, etc. is important, I think that learning about the same thing every year in school is just repetitive and annoying and makes people hate it more.

 

[lSHaDoW-FoXl]

I don't find. It's just a tribute to black people in general. Consider it the same as Gay Pride. Besides. The maker of Ice Cream was black. and I love ice cream!!

 

[Amnestic]

Is it necessary? Probably not, though an extra excuse to teach kids history is probably something we shouldn't shirk off considering the edumacation 'crisis' I hear a lot of countries are having.

Do I think you'd be able to speak up against it and not get called a racist? Probably not. Sucks, perhaps, but that's the way things go.

 

[Syphonz]

Cole train Baby!

I'm sorry..It just had to be said

 

[the_tramp]

It is all double standards, in the same sense that there was a group moving around the USA a while back in the same sense of gay pride or black pride but instead it was white pride. They weren't racist, had not connections to the KKK or anything but simply because they were celebrating being white they were deemed racists.

 

[Caliostro]

As one of my favorite comedians once said: "Black history?? Why the fuck would I care about black history? I don't even care about white history!"


PS: In fact, why in the fuck is there a BLACK history month? Is it dedicated to the darkest, most evil, events only? I really don't think black people's history is divided from white people's history... We don't belong to separate realities or anything, we're all in this shithole of a planet and we all built our history together...

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

I do, for the most part, agree with you. Although recognizing the great black inventors, etc. is important, I think that learning about the same thing every year in school is just repetitive and annoying and makes people hate it more.

This has been my experience. And double-standards all around.

 

[xitel]

It's in America too, and yeah, pretty much all of my friends say it's somewhat racist, regardless of their ethinicity. It's just an excuse to teach more history and pay Jesse Jackson to appear at High Schools.

 

[Uskis]

There is a point to put the focus on black history i presume. Taking americas racial history in account, I think history might have become a little ethnocentric? I'm not an american, and we don't have any "special minority" history in my country. I think They should try and mainstream black and gay history into the "normal" historyclasses instead, since black, feminist and gay history is a part of same history.

 

[ThePlasmatizer]

I can't believe your friend's don't care about their own history.

Most history lessons tend to focus on white history so just look at it as an opportunity to look at the history and culture of someone of another racial background.

 

[Jonathan Hexley]

I rather like Black History Month.
We get to see all the things that Black people have done for the world, such as inventions.
I had to do a report on a Black inventor, so I did... I think it was Isaac McCoy? I dunno, I remember his last name was McCoy.
I never knew why McCoys where called McCoys, and now I know.

 

[EnzoHonda]

I like the counter joke when asking "Why isn't there a white history month?"

Every month is white history month.

But, yeah, it does seem inappropriate to have anything that separates people in this day and age (and location). For example, I try to have friends, not "black friends" or "Asian friends" etc. It's a pretty lovey-dovey kind to viewpoint, but someone has to have it.

 

[Scorched_Cascade]

Not sure if I should be worried about my thinking patterns but on reading the title I thought this was going to be about nuclear warfare (see: black sunday/monday) rather than the race topic it apparantly is.

That said while its great to celebrate a race(?)/culture(?)'s history what about all the other races and cultures that don't get a history month?

 

[GenHellspawn]

All races are equal, but some are more equal than others.

 

[jockslap]

Cole train Baby!

I'm sorry..It just had to be said

perhaps you could add a real post too?
--------------------------------------------
General thing im seeing is that a lot (that one's for you rottenbutter ) of people seem to think that while black history month is an obvious case of political correctness gone mad, its still a good thing in a way, and it teaches people about history, so here is my little thought, what if perhaps we had different months for most of the obvious i guess races (or types) of people, Latinos, Americans, Black people, Asians, Europeans you know all the big ones, perhaps we could fill all the months?

 

[Corven]

Where is native american history month, oh thats right, people would just like to forget about that part of history.

(this isn't directed at anyone in particular, it just always strikes me as strange on how most people just like to forget about all the things done to native americans throughout most of the united states history, also there is a "native american heritage month", but I doubt it gets as much publicity since I've never heard of it till now since I just googled it, when you compare it to black history month)

 

[Zeke109]

BHM is in February.

 

[Samoftherocks]

Black History Month is an important part of American culture, but one that has an expiration. At some point in the future, there will be a line that gets crossed wher education of black history becomes a regualr part of the curriculum and folks like George Washington Carver (my hero and creator of peanut butter) become more recognizable as a historical figure and not a "black" historical figure. Same thing for Gay Pride, though I think, in addition to Pride and a sense of "yeah us!" it's more a middle finger to those who would oppress them than Black History Month is.