Is Black History Month Racist?
When
we think back to elementary school in history class we remember the typical
master narrative of African Americans being taught during black history month.
Black history month sparks many different views from people on whether or not
it brings learning from it or is controversial. Some people believe that Black
History month is very important for the fact that African American history does
not get taught enough and is overlooked. Thus the month promotes learning of
important and influential events in history. However, other critics believe it
is unfair to have only a month and say that by limiting black history to one
month means its not important the rest of the year. In an ABC News article,
they quote actor Morgan Freedman on his opinion of Black History Month. “ ‘You're going to relegate my history to a month?’ he said,
during an interview aired on CBS' ‘60 Minutes’ in December. ‘I don't want a
black history month. Black history is American history’”. I personally do not
think Martin Luther King or Malcolm X would be happy with just one month of
black history. They are limiting and segregating racial learning to just one
month when it should be integrated into the rest of American history along with
the so call “white history”.
Black
history classes are very rare to have in elementary schools and high school, it
is generally taught for a short period in a general history class. It is sad
and surprising that it has not progressed with its demand from students wanting
to know important pieces of history, which are just as important as the rest of
history that is not just taught in one month. African American history is a
growing major and subject at many colleges around the country. This topic is
not just limited to a month; it has semesters on just these specific courses.
Students are dying to get in these classes because their lack of black history
was hardly there. There is so much history that it can not just be contained to
a month let alone a semester like out African American History month. So is
Black history month good or bad? Is it beneficial for learning or does it bring
up more racial inequality? Is Morgan Freedman right when he says that Black
History Month is ridiculous?
http://abcnews.go.com/US/BlackHistory/story?id=1532309&page=1&singlePage=true
Of course I'm sure we all wish that Black History were included in American History not as a phase or chapter but as a critical and continuous part. The truth is that African American History is not included in American History as it should be. That is a problem that people cannot ignore when we have to have a separate month and chapter. Without that month and chapter of our US History classes, we would be completely ignorant to African American History. It is important, I think, to also see that there is only one month and only one chapter because it IS wrong. It reminds us that these issues are not over. The case is not closed, and we can use every reminder of that. It does show distinction between races, but this, too, is important. Institutional racism and classism are now very interwoven. For as much progress as we have made, we cannot ignore the consistent disadvantages people of color still face because of historical and current discrimination. Race and class are important and complicated issues, and Black History Month and the chapters on Civil Rights keep us paying attention to those issues.
ReplyDeleteI always go back and forth on this question. I completely agree with what Aubrey said about it keeping the issues relevant. Having a seperate month for it calls into question why we have to do that in the first place.....but that only works if people are actually paying attention to that and asking those questions. Having a month designated black history month can also conceal our larger issues. It makes it easier for people to say 'things are equal now, look we dedicate a whole month to black history.' Most the problem is that the majority of people do not understand the significance behind black history month, because all they have ever learned is the master narrative. I don't think we are at a place where we can assume that we can get rid of it, and African American history will just suddenly become woven into regular history classes. I see black history month as it is currently taught as a bad thing, not in the sense that it shouldn't be taught anymore, but in that we should restructure it and move away from this master narrative. In order for things to get better, people have to realize that there is a problem. Not everybody goes to college, and even if people have the opportunity to attend, they don't necessarily get to take a real African American history course. So its really important for grade school and high school students to actually learn about black history, so they can understand how it has impacted (and created) our social problems today.
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ReplyDeleteI think that the term "black history" has existing problems in itself. Especially with the recent discussion of the term "race" this semester, it is fair to say that "black" history is not politically correct. What does being black even mean? If we (supposedly) learn about the history of the English arriving in America or the Irish potato famine or the Mexican-American War, why are we not learning about the history of African Americans in America? Why must it be called "black history"?
It is true that the teaching of "black history" should not be limited to just one month. Rather, it should be taught alongside the rest of history when appropriate. However, I think that dedicating a specific month to the study of African American history, especially in the United States, allows for a more deeper appreciation and recognition of past and culture. This month is not about dividing between skin colors, it is about recognizing a group, culture, and past that had previously been voided from society.
Honestly, I've always felt pretty weird about Black History Month. What I mean by this however is not that I do not think it is important to acknowledge, celebrate, and remember the history of Black Americans and all that occurred and was endured from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement. But the way it was advertised always seemed a little awkward and I never felt like the people endorsing it necessarily really knew what they were talking about. When it comes to issues and topics that are considered "uncomfortable" such as racial equality, there is always an aspect of avoiding getting down to the nitty gritty truth. There is an essence of being careful with one's words and just sort of grazing over the surface. While I agree that is kind of ridiculous that there is only one month out of the year when we are supposed to be really talking about "black history," one way to look at it is at least we have a time when we are talking about it at all. (I really like how you said segregating racial learning). However, it just goes into what we talk about in class about the repeated master narrative that tends to avoid the ugly things people like to pretend never happened. Some people say, "why isn't there a white history month?" I feel like that is an ignorant way to avoid addressing the initial question being asked above. I do not think that the month itself is racist because it is a time that acknowledges and reminds us of our society's history and everything that people went through to get to this point. It is a time that demands an intense respect for the actions taken by so many people from all sides and skin colors to fight for equality and demand for changes to be made. It is similar to any other national observance though, for example on September 11th when our nation collectively reflects on the events of that day. But it is not to say that we only think of it on this day. It is on the minds of our nation always. But on that day we get to acknowledge the horrible events that occurred in a way to appreciate the bravery of those that died trying to help others and honor the lives of the victims and their families. I do not think it is wrong to have a month that is meant to recognize the history of a race of people; I think the issue is with the mindset towards it and the general approach to acknowledging the events not just one month out of the year.
ReplyDeleteMaybe instead of asking whether or not it is racist, we should ask whether or not it is beneficial. Like in the email that McKinney sent us a couple weeks ago about Black History Month, history in general is important to study and understand. Studying our past helps us under our present and possibly our future. African American History can be seen on two tiers. It is the history of African Americans themselves, but like Morgan Freedman said, it is the history of America as well. From the antebellum South to the Civil Rights Movements, we’ve been able to evaluate the way we lives our lives today based off the deplorable actions and the struggles that took place in our not-so-distant past.
ReplyDeleteWe’ve also learned this semester that many figures in African American history – even though they are very important – have augmented the “master narrative” of the Civil Rights Movement. Take Martin Luther King Jr. for example. Although MLK was had a profound impact on the Civil Rights Movement, we know that he was not and could not have been the only person keeping the movement alive. Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Fannie Lou Hamer and many others helped paint the larger picture that is African American History. I know that many other people besides MLK are recognized outside of school, but from elementary schools up to even high school, Rosa Parks and MLK posters decorate the hallways.
History in general is important. Having Black History Month doesn’t mean that it’s not important the rest of the year. People just don’t think about history every day. Relegating Black History to once a year does take it away from history as a whole. It makes it “their” history and not “our” history. So then why should people be interested in “their” history? I agree that we need to emphasize the importance of Black History earlier on in school. The “master narrative” distorts Black History, and weakens peoples’ thoughts of its significance.
Its tough to say whether black history month is good or bad because we don't know what would happen without it. Black history month was originally created to serve as a period of recognition and respect, but my question is if there wasn't a month to designate to this, what would we do? I believe honoring the courage of african americans and educating the ignorant about black history during this month has been successful, but without this certain period of focus i'm not so sure that it would be as easy to do. African american history is in fact american history, just as Freedman said, but that doesn't mean we can't highlight a certain month to more deeply appreciate the history of this race in our country.
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ReplyDeleteThe necessity of Black History Month has been a controversial topic. Many argue that this month perpetuates racist’s ideals where as others argue that this month has historic meaning and must continue to be observed. Black History Month, then National Negro History Week, was created during a time of racial opposition in which black people were striving to shape their identities. This week acknowledged the accomplishments of black people while emanating pride in one’s culture and heritage. Currently, the purpose of Black History Month is to serve as a time to celebrate the achievements of notable black people in history and to remember the opposition in which they had to overcome. Unfortunately, within in our primary and secondary education Black History Month is utilized as a time to study and analyze African American History. I agree that this month should not be observed in that manner. African American History should be taught in detail throughout the year in conjunction with other areas of history. Black History Month, much like Veterans Day, should be a time to remember the accomplishments of men and women who battled tirelessly for our advancement, not to begin studying and discussing the impact of their roles on history.
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Like many stated before, black history month was created by Carter Woodson to preserve "black" history. Before this time, Americans were not recognizing the accomplishments of blacks. It is a fact that without blacks, America would not be what it is today. Therefore, Mr. Woodson saw this need. People wonder should black history month still exist, and my answer is always yes. Black history is not incorporated in history books around the nation. So where does the average American learn black history? Black history month is the answer. Until black history is a major part of history books, which it should be. Black history month should exist without question.
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