Black History Month

[jockslap]

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.

go peanut butter!

 

[corporate_gamer]

we don't have a back history month in the UK. But in America and Canada the history of the black people is clearly divide from that off white people. And as Black people are a significant portion of the population (and have been since America the country was founded) there is obvious reasons to divide it off into its own module, as it would be completely separate history for the entirety of the US history.

 

[Unknower]

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_McCoy

Isaac McCoy was "the first white settler in Niles and Grand Rapids."

 

[klc0100]

we don't have a back history month in the UK.

It was last month...

 

[skakashijutsu]

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.

It's actually already a part of school curriculum in America, and its not offensive, as some may believe it to be. It's important to recognize that the historical figures were black, not just because they were black, but because of the odds they faced and the shit they had to go though to make an effort to make the world a better place (yeah, corny, right?). and black people needed some sort of reperations, fo why not give us a month purely dedicated to us? We like it enough, although its not like most people really recognize it anyway.

 

[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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_McCoy

Isaac McCoy was "the first white settler in Niles and Grand Rapids."

Ah, goodness. Good thing I added the question, I would've looked kinda silly if I didn't.

 

[corporate_gamer]

we don't have a back history month in the UK.

It was last month...

hahaha really?

ok, we didn't have a black history month when i was at school, that or my south London comprehensive couldn't be bloody arsed to do anything for it.

 

[Samoftherocks]

One thing to note about George Washington Carver, in learning American History, aside from Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, MLK, Malcom X, and maybe a few others, there are not too many black historical figures that I would agree prioritizing over the curriculum as I've seen it. Every year, the curriculum gets more and more dumbed down to a point where the students seem to be controlling the schools. Shortening the lesson plan is not conducive to the addition of new information. George Washington Carver, awesome peanut butter god that he was, would likely be minimized into a list of figures graded solely on name recognition, and I think he would be better taught in a course specific to Black History. Not saying it's not important stuff, but there are things in American History that need to be taught because it is pertainant to American culture. My kiddo and mama will learn everything else together, and, with our encouragement, hopefully the kiddo will take up the study on her own

 

[axia777]

Black History Month by Saul Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkxUi-J3INU

 

[KSarty]

I think that it isn't so much racist, but it does sort of provide a barrier between blacks and whites. The name at any rate, insinuates that black people are separate from white people, but then again, it is just a name for a period of study revolving around black historical figures. I would say that it isn't racist in itself, but it does imply a certain difference between black and white, and that could be construed as racist.

Dude, that is the definition of racism. Everyone assumes that if it isn't negative, it isn't racism, but it is. Like other people have said, it is a double standard.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

I'm not really bothered by it. It's not like they set it in June or July so that you think about it while you're at the beach. It's in freaking February, the worst month of the year (if you live in North America). Honestly, the most racist thing about it is they still found a way to disenfranchise black people with it.

 

[Zer_]

I propose "White History Month."

QUICK! Before I get assassinated for being racist!

 

[axia777]

So what? We don't celebrate White Cultural heroes while studying history in any school? We do. It is just an attempt to help people be more educated, that is all. It is not racist.

I propose "White History Month."

QUICK! Before I get assassinated for being racist!

Again, when does America not celebrate White Cultural heroes?

 

[Zer_]

So what? We don't celebrate White Cultural heroes while studying history in any school? We do. It is just an attempt to help people be more educated, that is all. It is not racist.

I propose "White History Month."

QUICK! Before I get assassinated for being racist!

Again, when does America not celebrate White Cultural heroes?

And when does America not celebrate black cultural heroes? The argument goes both ways, so don't try to push it.

 

[Nathan A.]

Why is there no math month, or science month?

This country might be in better shape if we had more engineers and fewer historians...

Just saying.

 

[Zer_]

Why is there no math month, or science month?

This country might be in better shape if we had more engineers and fewer historians...

Just saying.

All things considered Canada is in pretty decent shape. What we need is more funding for our engineers, scientists and doctors and less funding for our historians.

 

[AgentNein]

So what? We don't celebrate White Cultural heroes while studying history in any school? We do. It is just an attempt to help people be more educated, that is all. It is not racist.

I propose "White History Month."

QUICK! Before I get assassinated for being racist!

Again, when does America not celebrate White Cultural heroes?

And when does America not celebrate black cultural heroes? The argument goes both ways, so don't try to push it.

There's a reason why we have a Black History Month, and that's because there was a time that our culture didn't really celebrate black cultural icons. I mean, that's kind of the point of the month. I consider it a progressive thing designed to get us to the point where great black men and women in american history are as equally represented as anybody else, and we don't need to designate a month just for people to talk about them.

 

[axia777]

So what? We don't celebrate White Cultural heroes while studying history in any school? We do. It is just an attempt to help people be more educated, that is all. It is not racist.

I propose "White History Month."

QUICK! Before I get assassinated for being racist!

Again, when does America not celebrate White Cultural heroes?

And when does America not celebrate black cultural heroes? The argument goes both ways, so don't try to push it.

Oh, I will push it. I reality, we don't really. Not as much as White ones to be sure. How many times do school kids hear about George Washington? How many times to do school kids here about African American cultural heroes besides George Washington Carver and Rosa Parks? There are dozens of others and Black History month tries to educate people about them.

 

[KSarty]

So what? We don't celebrate White Cultural heroes while studying history in any school? We do. It is just an attempt to help people be more educated, that is all. It is not racist.

I propose "White History Month."

QUICK! Before I get assassinated for being racist!

Again, when does America not celebrate White Cultural heroes?

And when does America not celebrate black cultural heroes? The argument goes both ways, so don't try to push it.

Oh, I will push it. I reality, we don't really. Not as much as White ones to be sure. How many times do school kids hear about George Washington? How many times to do school kids here about African American cultural heroes besides George Washington Carver and Rosa Parks? There are dozens of others and Black History month tries to educate people about them.

I learned about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks long before I even knew there was a Black History Month. Anything that is important enough for students to learn should just be made a part of the curriculum, Black History Month is unnecessary. And no shit everyone learns about George Washington more than George Washington Carver, our first president is a lot more important to our history than the guy that created friggin peanut butter.

 

[Dance The Revolution]

So what? We don't celebrate White Cultural heroes while studying history in any school? We do. It is just an attempt to help people be more educated, that is all. It is not racist.

I propose "White History Month."

QUICK! Before I get assassinated for being racist!

Again, when does America not celebrate White Cultural heroes?

And when does America not celebrate black cultural heroes? The argument goes both ways, so don't try to push it.

Oh, I will push it. I reality, we don't really. Not as much as White ones to be sure. How many times do school kids hear about George Washington? How many times to do school kids here about African American cultural heroes besides George Washington Carver and Rosa Parks? There are dozens of others and Black History month tries to educate people about them.

I learned about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks long before I even knew there was a Black History Month. Anything that is important enough for students to learn should just be made a part of the curriculum, Black History Month is unnecessary. And no shit everyone learns about George Washington more than George Washington Carver, our first president is a lot more important to our history than the guy that created friggin peanut butter.

You missed the point entirely.

Naming names like Martin Luther King Jr. (he is a junior by the way) and Rosa Parks just proves his point. What other famous African-Americans you know that don't enjoy the spot-light?

The point he was trying to make was that history classes (atleast in America) do not teach about many black men who deserve the recognition. Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and George Washington Carvar and others like them are a given. They are a few people who deserve the recognition, but there are many, many more.

In reality, the do not teach about African-Americans as much as they should. A lot of supporters of the month will tell you that they will feel better if more of these people were taught in normal sessions and not forgotten.

The point of Black History Month is to teach people about the accomplishments of African-Americans because schools do not do it often. They only mention big names. Black History Month is here as long as the schools do not teach and celebrate African-Americans who made a difference, who did something big as much as they should.

I hope that clears things up about the point being made.