Quote:
Black History Month is outliving its usefulness
by Phillip Morris/Plain Dealer Columnist
Tuesday February 03, 2009, 5:57 AM
It's time to think about canceling Black History Month.
Just how many more decades of racially segregated Februaries dedicated to remembering an imperfect nation must we commemorate? Just how much longer will we allow the shortest month to divide rather than unite?
When will we have reached the point where black history will simply be recognized as American history? And why can't African-Americans lead the charge to make February the most introspective month of the year - a time for comprehensive reflection upon a shared history?
Carter G. Woodson's idea of a Negro History week in 1926 was dedicated to exploring the history of the African Diaspora and imbuing a race with pride. It was a stroke of genius from both a public relations and academic perspective. It helped launch a curriculum of African and African-American studies that filled in many of the harmful and dangerous gaps that were deliberately left out of the portrait of American history.
Woodson's foresight 83 years ago this month helped changed the way the Negro viewed himself and, in turn, the way the rest of America viewed the Negro.
Woodson's work undoubtedly also helped lay the groundwork that gave America the courage and conviction to politically groom and elect President Barack Obama, less than 150 years from the end of slavery.
But now that we've reached this crowning point in our history, are we mature enough as a nation to accept as fact that our histories really are one -- and have always been one?
Can we begin to identify those things -- real or ceremonial -- that racially divide and work to systematically eliminate them?
Can we agree that our children will no longer be shielded from the graphic abominations of the past, just as emerging scholars and educators will be uninterested in hiding the tremendous social advances of the present?
At what juncture then does Black History Month run the risk of becoming a pointless exercise in race chest bumping? At what point does the celebration - or sustained memorial -- become any less acceptable than a national white history month?
Actor Morgan Freeman broached the topic a few years ago in a CBS interview with Mike Wallace. He said he found the idea of a Black History Month "ridiculous."
When Wallace, stumbling badly through the interview, incredulously asked Freeman, how the nation would move beyond racism if ideas like Black History Month weren't celebrated, Freeman excoriated him.
"Which month is Jewish history month?"
"There isn't one," Wallace replied, adding emphatically that he wouldn't want one.
The actor said he didn't want one either. Freeman then reduced his formula for an attack on racism to this simple equation:
"I'm going to stop calling you a white man. And I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man.
"I know you as Mike Wallace. You know me as Morgan Freeman."
That insight is so simple that it is profound.
Working on a redefinition of black history month seems to make the same kind of profound sense.
Just how many more black history Februaries do we need?
Makes sense to me. The thought of Black History month is offensive to me.
What are your thoughts and opinions?
“Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. Nobody gets in life exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” Conan O'Brien
oops, forgot the url for the article
“Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. Nobody gets in life exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard, and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.” Conan O'Brien
i say we make march white history month
nevermind, we would be labeled racist if we did that.
I find it offensive too. There was an asian and african american club in the high school I went to. When someone created a white club.....too many people found it offensive and they took it to the school board....and since then they could no longer have clubs that were labeled by race....
I wonder how many people are going to call the writer of this article a racist. I remember talking like this at my last job and I was immediately labeled as a racist. It was more of a joke than anything, but that's how people view it. Apparently other races are more entitled to privileges than mine.
There's a Hispanic chamber of commerce...Funny, hispanics are in charge of my normal chamber of commerce too. So where's the white/black/pacific islander version?
im sure soon obama will make it black history century.
Needing 2.3 oil pump stuff? PM me...
Yeah its stupid. Like everything mentioned above, if theres is ANYTHING specific to white people, there is an uproar. It's like that web browser, "Blackbird"? I think? A web browser for the African American Community. It's all BS.
"African Americans" wanted unity so much years ago... but people that do these things are just enforcing the segregation that once was. It may be in a different light, but it's the same concept. If there can be "Black Entertainment Televison" there is no reason there can't be "White Entertainment Televison".
Black history month should disapear.
I find it humorous that they gave them the shortest month of the year.....
John Benham wrote:I find it humorous that they gave them the shortest month of the year.....
shut up or else they will start bitching about that next.
"The FACTS are always subject to CHANGE once the TRUTH is applied"
"In the entire history of man the only stupid questions are the ones that don't get asked"
john hahahahaahaa on the pics
Needing 2.3 oil pump stuff? PM me...
John Benham wrote:I find it humorous that they gave them the shortest month of the year.....
also one of the coldest, therefore nobody goes out and celebrates .....
Lanman31337 -F = fatties = do not want. A little chunk in the junk is ok though.
z yaaaa wrote:im sure soon obama will make it black history century.
Plz dont get anyone started on that sht.
The way our country is going before long we will be celebrating GLBT month.
FORGET GIRLS GONE WILD WE HAVE GOVERNMENT SPENDING GONE WILD!
lol the ignorance of the org I love it. Well it is primarily black history month because some of our most powerful/Heartfelt history making situations occurred in Feb.
So much ignorance here and most of you guys are well into your what 30s, 50s for some of us I see.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html
K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:lol the ignorance of the org I love it. Well it is primarily black history month because some of our most powerful/Heartfelt history making situations occurred in Feb.
So much ignorance here and most of you guys are well into your what 30s, 50s for some of us I see.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html
ignorance? no. having a point? yes. you cant say that if white people were to make some of the same things that black people have that we wouldnt be called racist.
so what if we found a month that contained most of our history making decisions/situations, would it be ok to have white history month?
Today in history (1913) the 16th amendment was ratified. That should make you feel good about February.
"The FACTS are always subject to CHANGE once the TRUTH is applied"
"In the entire history of man the only stupid questions are the ones that don't get asked"
AWD GS wrote:K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:lol the ignorance of the org I love it. Well it is primarily black history month because some of our most powerful/Heartfelt history making situations occurred in Feb.
So much ignorance here and most of you guys are well into your what 30s, 50s for some of us I see.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html
ignorance? no. having a point? yes. you cant say that if white people were to make some of the same things that black people have that we wouldnt be called racist.
so what if we found a month that contained most of our history making decisions/situations, would it be ok to have white history month?
yea who's talking about racism Igonorance as in not knowing about the month so well into Adulthood.
If you find an appropriate month hats off to you and I will be t here to celebrate with you. Don't bring race into this as if I'm assaulting the white race.
K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:AWD GS wrote:K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:lol the ignorance of the org I love it. Well it is primarily black history month because some of our most powerful/Heartfelt history making situations occurred in Feb.
So much ignorance here and most of you guys are well into your what 30s, 50s for some of us I see.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html
ignorance? no. having a point? yes. you cant say that if white people were to make some of the same things that black people have that we wouldnt be called racist.
so what if we found a month that contained most of our history making decisions/situations, would it be ok to have white history month?
yea who's talking about racism Igonorance as in not knowing about the month so well into Adulthood.
If you find an appropriate month hats off to you and I will be t here to celebrate with you. Don't bring race into this as if I'm assaulting the white race.
did i say you were assaulting the white race? im merely stating a fact that if the tables were turned, it would be looked at a completely different way.
AWD GS wrote:K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:AWD GS wrote:K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:lol the ignorance of the org I love it. Well it is primarily black history month because some of our most powerful/Heartfelt history making situations occurred in Feb.
So much ignorance here and most of you guys are well into your what 30s, 50s for some of us I see.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html
ignorance? no. having a point? yes. you cant say that if white people were to make some of the same things that black people have that we wouldnt be called racist.
so what if we found a month that contained most of our history making decisions/situations, would it be ok to have white history month?
yea who's talking about racism Igonorance as in not knowing about the month so well into Adulthood.
If you find an appropriate month hats off to you and I will be t here to celebrate with you. Don't bring race into this as if I'm assaulting the white race.
did i say you were assaulting the white race? im merely stating a fact that if the tables were turned, it would be looked at a completely different way.
To be honest I highly doubt anyone would care, when you bring hatred into it then people might care.,...
K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:AWD GS wrote:K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:AWD GS wrote:K. Vega..Mr. M62 L61 himself. wrote:lol the ignorance of the org I love it. Well it is primarily black history month because some of our most powerful/Heartfelt history making situations occurred in Feb.
So much ignorance here and most of you guys are well into your what 30s, 50s for some of us I see.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html
ignorance? no. having a point? yes. you cant say that if white people were to make some of the same things that black people have that we wouldnt be called racist.
so what if we found a month that contained most of our history making decisions/situations, would it be ok to have white history month?
yea who's talking about racism Igonorance as in not knowing about the month so well into Adulthood.
If you find an appropriate month hats off to you and I will be t here to celebrate with you. Don't bring race into this as if I'm assaulting the white race.
did i say you were assaulting the white race? im merely stating a fact that if the tables were turned, it would be looked at a completely different way.
To be honest I highly doubt anyone would care, when you bring hatred into it then people might care.,...
So your telling me that if there was a white history month, a WET TV station and a white guy collage fund that Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan wouldn't care or say anything about it. Yeah right.
KevinP (Stabby McShankyou) wrote:
and I'm NOT a pedo. everyone knows i've got a wheelchair fetish.
what the F is up with everyone thinking they can put esquire at the end of their name, there is 3 people in this thread with it. Do you even know what it means?
And I love how he called jbo ignorant for having to ask what makes feb so special. sh!ts retarded.
