tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6455036775187614881.post3333217538833850844..comments2009-06-07T01:00:03.690-04:00Comments on Anger=Change: No Black History MONTH (?)Beautifuldaidreamerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415998441444787308noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6455036775187614881.post-28264537417900880782009-02-19T15:32:00.000-05:002009-02-19T15:32:00.000-05:00I could not agree more. The thought of just one mo...I could not agree more. The thought of just one month for black history has never made sense to me. I was born in Jamaica, West Indies but spent my formative years in the U.S. I went to public school and was quite shocked when I heard about Black History month. The idea itself was so foreign to me. I remember sitting in class thinking, ‘Are you serious’? It was simply mind boggling. I believe black history should be taught year round. Come to think of it, not only should black history be incorporated ALL history should be taught. I can't remember learning anything about the history of Native, Asian, or Hispanic Americans. I often ask the same question why is there a systematic "watering down" of certain parts of America's history? The definition of history is "A chronological record of events, as of the life or development of a people or institution, often including an explanation of or commentary on those events."? Throughout the history of this country, blacks have contributed significantly to the development and building of this nation. Why would you not want to share the knowledge of those contributions? The answer to that is more complicated than there is space. <BR/> On a recent trip to Ghana, Africa our group visited the national park and tomb of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah. I noticed a headless, battered, bronze statue on the grounds. I asked our tour guide who that was. He stated that was once a statue of Dr. Nkrumah. Our tour guide explained that in 1966, while Nkrumah was on a state visit out of the country, the government was overthrown in a military coup. The headless statue was the result. I remember thinking the significance of this juxtaposed view. A headless statue of Kwame Nkrumah stood in the same national park that honors this man who was and is so revered in Ghana. I asked why the statue there. Our guide simply replied, “Because it is a part of our history. It reminds us of our past mistakes and guards us against making the same ones.” To dilute history no matter how brutal or embarrassing denies the existence of the contributions, and chronological events. Worse it shuts down any possible dialogue that could be beneficial about learning about someone else’s culture. More importantly it opens the door to repeat mistakes of the past.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6455036775187614881.post-53606877485257179072009-02-19T12:33:00.000-05:002009-02-19T12:33:00.000-05:00I totally agree with you. One of my employees had...I totally agree with you. One of my employees had the audacity to say and I quote "You people don't need a black history month now that Obama, a black man, is president". So because we have a black president, no one should know black history???? And it's funny to me how, like you said, it is confined to one month. How is it that we can study European history 11 months out the year but we get one month, and it's the shortest one at that. There's more to black history than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Madame CJ Walker, etc. History should be integrated because it's just that, history.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com