Black History Month

[Annata Cannata]

MaegSully

MarcelineLeVampireReine

Do you feel blamed or guilty during black history month? What makes you feel that way?

My main problem with "Black History Month" is that it would be considered racist to have a "White History Month". So that double-standard irritates me a bit.

.

But White history is told all year round. Everyone else gets just one special month...

[Volezi]

theothermanoverthere

duuuuuurrrrrr

Okay, I'll spell it out the best I can for your special needs.
It isn't about the "offensiveness" you keep wanting to talk about. At least, to me and a few others that you keep making assumptions of, it isn't. Not to say that it doesn't matter at all, because intentionally alienating other people out of places they have as much right to be just because your complete lack of self control and sense of mutual respects just can't be avoided and you have a posse on your side, then the problem is on you for tyrannizing people. But I'll assume you don't go around doing that.

It's about the inherent poison of stereotyped and prejudiced ideas and it's combination with the social pressures of "I shouldn't make this an issue because its in 'good fun' and if I do, others will see me as a prude."
It's comforting to share a sense of humor with others, but it is also a psychological weakness. If you constantly are surrounded by acceptance of degrading humor, your subconscious would presume that your peers hold certain stances by their continued engagement of degrading or disparaging 'fun' and it may and even mend them into your own views by an instinct to preserve good standing with your relations, causing a bias for you if you are to be called upon to make a judgment on or closely related to the topic, where you may not even be aware that even jokes you've heard in the past could play influence. Given a political structure involving a voting populace, there does happen to be motive to control demographic behaviors to attempt to bias them in this way, and there are opportunities to do so, with social networking that is capable of spreading ideas thoroughly throughout the minds of an intended demographic. "Cheezburger" cats are recognizable by many, but unfortunately, so are the racist caricatures originating from the same pseudo-clique.

[MaegSully]

Annata Cannata

MaegSully

MarcelineLeVampireReine

Do you feel blamed or guilty during black history month? What makes you feel that way?

My main problem with "Black History Month" is that it would be considered racist to have a "White History Month". So that double-standard irritates me a bit.

.

But White history is told all year round. Everyone else gets just one special month...

That's not true. From what I hear, during Black History Month, students in schools are often shown presentations about history related to African Americans. They are not shown presentations about history related to white people during the rest of the year. Therein lies the difference. If there was an assigned "White History Month", I wouldn't have this argument. The same goes for Women's History Month, and the nonexistent Men's History Month.

Plus, black history is told all year as well, to the same level as white history is.

[Belonging To Night]

MaegSully

MarcelineLeVampireReine

Do you feel blamed or guilty during black history month? What makes you feel that way?

My main problem with "Black History Month" is that it would be considered racist to have a "White History Month". So that double-standard irritates me a bit.

That said, I do think that a lot of white people, most notably students in school, feel blamed during the month, as well as whenever they're in an English or History class and have to read book after book after book about slavery. I remember my daughter complaining once, saying something along the lines of "I mean, I get it. Slavery was bad. We understand that now. Why do we constantly have to focus on it and write essays about how bad it was?" Actually, I remember her saying that she asked, in a much more polite tone, something along the lines of that to her teacher, who immediately yelled at her and said "You should care, because your ancestors participated in it." To which she said, "Actually, no. My ancestors did not own slaves, because they were too busy dealing with a genocide-by-starvation in Ireland, or were too busy scouting around New York City trying to find a single place that would hire them."

I realize I'm a bit off-topic here... but I do think my point relates: Why is there a need for Black History Month or, for that matter, extensive lessons on slavery? The more we focus on race, even in a "seemingly beneficial" way, the more we remind people that there is a difference between them. I think people should celebrate their own history and be proud of where they came from, but I do not think an entire country needs to acknowledge these months.

It probably has something to do with guilt by association. Same way that black people might feel prideful of their association with the slave struggle and civil rights movement of their ancestors, the same can be said of white people who make an association with other white people of the past. Although one is a positive that came from a negative, while the other is a negative that stems from a "positive," that being white privilege and white dominance.

Black History Month is meant to celebrate the achievements of African-Americans in a society that didn't/doesn't cater to them quite like it did/does with Caucasians.

As for the extensive need for lessons on slavery, part of might have to do with trying to learn from the past. But that might also be particular to your experiences due to the fact that the only time I've been taught about black history/slavery was during Black History Month, so the lessons were somewhat thematic. Which is pretty bad that the only period of time that black people can widely be acknowledged is during a designated month that was born through strife. Unlike something another poster pointed out about how white people history is rather prominent in the education system within the US.

[MaegSully]

Belonging To Night

It probably has something to do with guilt by association. Same way that black people might feel prideful of their association with the slave struggle and civil rights movement of their ancestors, the same can be said of white people who make an association with other white people of the past. Although one is a positive that came from a negative, while the other is a negative that stems from a "positive," that being white privilege and white dominance.

Black History Month is meant to celebrate the achievements of African-Americans in a society that didn't/doesn't cater to them quite like it did/does with Caucasians.

As for the extensive need for lessons on slavery, part of might have to do with trying to learn from the past. But that might also be particular to your experiences due to the fact that the only time I've been taught about black history/slavery was during Black History Month, so the lessons were somewhat thematic. Which is pretty bad that the only period of time that black people can widely be acknowledged is during a designated month that was born through strife. Unlike something another poster pointed out about how white people history is rather prominent in the education system within the US.

But the question is, is it really that history involving white people is being focused on in the education system within the US, or is it just that the history taught in the US happens to mostly relate to white people? That wasn't worded properly. I mean, I know a person who complained about their US History course only focusing on white people for the first half of the year. That's probably not because they wanted to focus on whites, it's just because the history discussed (colonial stuff and federalists and what not) happened to be white. That's like complaining because a course on lightbulbs only mentioned that white guy. He invented them; it's got nothing to do with race.

I'm just saying that history should be history. It shouldn't have a color assigned to it.

[Belonging To Night]

MaegSully

Annata Cannata

MaegSully

MarcelineLeVampireReine

Do you feel blamed or guilty during black history month? What makes you feel that way?

My main problem with "Black History Month" is that it would be considered racist to have a "White History Month". So that double-standard irritates me a bit.

.

But White history is told all year round. Everyone else gets just one special month...

That's not true. From what I hear, during Black History Month, students in schools are often shown presentations about history related to African Americans. They are not shown presentations about history related to white people during the rest of the year. Therein lies the difference. If there was an assigned "White History Month", I wouldn't have this argument. The same goes for Women's History Month, and the nonexistent Men's History Month.

Plus, black history is told all year as well, to the same level as white history is.

http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/misedne.html

That's the best I could find without knowing what to search for. But consistently throughout American history, African-Americans as well as African-American achievements have been downplayed. And this is as recent as the 1970s where schools had history textbooks that rarely acknowledged black people.

[Belonging To Night]

MaegSully

Belonging To Night

It probably has something to do with guilt by association. Same way that black people might feel prideful of their association with the slave struggle and civil rights movement of their ancestors, the same can be said of white people who make an association with other white people of the past. Although one is a positive that came from a negative, while the other is a negative that stems from a "positive," that being white privilege and white dominance.

Black History Month is meant to celebrate the achievements of African-Americans in a society that didn't/doesn't cater to them quite like it did/does with Caucasians.

As for the extensive need for lessons on slavery, part of might have to do with trying to learn from the past. But that might also be particular to your experiences due to the fact that the only time I've been taught about black history/slavery was during Black History Month, so the lessons were somewhat thematic. Which is pretty bad that the only period of time that black people can widely be acknowledged is during a designated month that was born through strife. Unlike something another poster pointed out about how white people history is rather prominent in the education system within the US.

But the question is, is it really that history involving white people is being focused on in the education system within the US, or is it just that the history taught in the US happens to mostly relate to white people? That wasn't worded properly. I mean, I know a person who complained about their US History course only focusing on white people for the first half of the year. That's probably not because they wanted to focus on whites, it's just because the history discussed (colonial stuff and federalists and what not) happened to be white. That's like complaining because a course on lightbulbs only mentioned that white guy. He invented them; it's got nothing to do with race.

I'm just saying that history should be history. It shouldn't have a color assigned to it.

A little bit of both. All one needs to do is lightly research the history of black people in the US to understand that they weren't exactly treated as equals. But history in the US is also very Eurocentric.

Edit: Just to add, the reason why history primarily focused on white people and their achievements is because black people were too busy trying not to be slaves.

[Annata Cannata]

MaegSully

Annata Cannata

MaegSully

MarcelineLeVampireReine

Do you feel blamed or guilty during black history month? What makes you feel that way?

My main problem with "Black History Month" is that it would be considered racist to have a "White History Month". So that double-standard irritates me a bit.

.

But White history is told all year round. Everyone else gets just one special month...

That's not true. From what I hear, during Black History Month, students in schools are often shown presentations about history related to African Americans. They are not shown presentations about history related to white people during the rest of the year. Therein lies the difference. If there was an assigned "White History Month", I wouldn't have this argument. The same goes for Women's History Month, and the nonexistent Men's History Month.

Plus, black history is told all year as well, to the same level as white history is.

Well, the only time I've heard about black people in history is around this time of year (and only on tv, not really in schools) and its only about MLK or George Washington Carver. No school I've been to has taught Non-White history as much as White history. They might brush over the Civil Rights Movement, but mostly White people get notification for contributing to history. I haven't even seen anyone else's month get notification on tv. Its like everyone thinks that they are done after Febuary.

[Eveille]

MaegSully

Annata Cannata

MaegSully

MarcelineLeVampireReine

Do you feel blamed or guilty during black history month? What makes you feel that way?

My main problem with "Black History Month" is that it would be considered racist to have a "White History Month". So that double-standard irritates me a bit.

.

But White history is told all year round. Everyone else gets just one special month...

That's not true. From what I hear, during Black History Month, students in schools are often shown presentations about history related to African Americans. They are not shown presentations about history related to white people during the rest of the year. Therein lies the difference. If there was an assigned "White History Month", I wouldn't have this argument. The same goes for Women's History Month, and the nonexistent Men's History Month.

Plus, black history is told all year as well, to the same level as white history is.

The rest of the year you hear about how white men shaped history. Kings in Europe, their generals, the philosophers, the scientists and astronomers, the Popes...In the US you get the Founding Fathers story about the revolutionary war, then a bunch of white guys decisions in the war of 1812, the Civil war..etc etc.

It is usually white men you hear about when you hear about major world changing events. Rarely are the minorities included as part of the world changers and decision-makers. That is what is meant by 'the rest of the year is white history'.

[theothermanoverthere]

Volezi

theothermanoverthere

duuuuuurrrrrr

Okay, I'll spell it out the best I can for your special needs.
It isn't about the "offensiveness" you keep wanting to talk about. At least, to me and a few others that you keep making assumptions of, it isn't. Not to say that it doesn't matter at all, because intentionally alienating other people out of places they have as much right to be just because your complete lack of self control and sense of mutual respects just can't be avoided and you have a posse on your side, then the problem is on you for tyrannizing people. But I'll assume you don't go around doing that.

It's about the inherent poison of stereotyped and prejudiced ideas and it's combination with the social pressures of "I shouldn't make this an issue because its in 'good fun' and if I do, others will see me as a prude."
It's comforting to share a sense of humor with others, but it is also a psychological weakness. If you constantly are surrounded by acceptance of degrading humor, your subconscious would presume that your peers hold certain stances by their continued engagement of degrading or disparaging 'fun' and it may and even mend them into your own views by an instinct to preserve good standing with your relations, causing a bias for you if you are to be called upon to make a judgment on or closely related to the topic, where you may not even be aware that even jokes you've heard in the past could play influence. Given a political structure involving a voting populace, there does happen to be motive to control demographic behaviors to attempt to bias them in this way, and there are opportunities to do so, with social networking that is capable of spreading ideas thoroughly throughout the minds of an intended demographic. "Cheezburger" cats are recognizable by many, but unfortunately, so are the racist caricatures originating from the same pseudo-clique.

You have anything to back up this massive clam?

[MaegSully]

I'm a bit short on time, and my coding skills are terrible, so forgive me for responding without quoting everyone who quoted me:

I don't mean that history is or should be a 50/50 split. I mean that it's proportional. From Colleen's homework (from the public school in the South that she attended), the famous chemists and authors she reads about are both white and black, proportional to the invention or type of novel they are learning about. If they're only talking about the theory of evolution, yeah they're going to mention a white guy. But it's not like the schools intentionally ignore black inventions. They're mentioned as well. It just so happens that the majority of the huge, classically studied contributions like evolution, the magna carta, and the atomic theory, were discovered/created by white people. If a black guy was present, I sure as hell bet the school wouldn't ignore that fact.

I'm just saying, note that all of those men listed above are MEN. Does that mean women aren't being properly represented? No. They just didn't come up with that.

I understand that a lot of history studied in the US is not black history... but why should it matter? The things that are chosen to be studied generally have reasons for them. The fact is, that regardless of whether or not there were people holding back African Americans from being able to play a major part in some historic period, they weren't inventing the things that are being studied. It's not discrimination, it just is. We don't teach about Irish history or Indian or Women's history all of the time in schools, but that's because during significant periods of times, less noteworthy accomplishments were made. It doesn't matter that those groups were oppressed, and that's why they didn't have the accomplishments... they still shouldn't be expected to be mentioned equally just because a white guy was mentioned.

There are courses that delve into every history you could possibly want to focus on -- black, women's, Irish, Chinese, African, Egyptian, Jewish, Muslim, ad so on and so forth.

It's not equal, but it shouldn't be. That's like putting racial, gender, and socioeconomic quotas on college admissions. That's the unfair part.

[Riviera de la Mancha]

Belonging To Night

Riviera de la Mancha

Belonging To Night

Why isn't there a white history month? What about Caucasians? They've done a lot throughout history and deserve at least 4 months dedicated to them.

I dont know about you, but I got roughly 12 academic years worth of white history. I think I maybe got a year's worth in sum total of academic years in minority education before I got to University.

That's actually pretty cool. I didn't realize that academic institutions had courses that were specifically titled such things as "white history" class or "Caucasian history" class. Is that a common thing in the US? (assuming that you attended schools in North America).

They dont until you get into college, which is my point. In high school and lower, there are no minority classes in the U.S., only sections.

If we are going by sections then that emphasize one group more than another, then Whites take the cake by far more than 4 months in the U.S.

[Yoshpet]

Annata Cannata

But White history is told all year round. Everyone else gets just one special month...

This claim is absurd. I took a history class almost every year I was in the public school system and we talked about cultures worldwide and what shaped the nations as they are today. To think that the American slave trade, civil rights movements, etc. are only discussed during February is imbecilic. I don't know if or when there is a Chinese History Month but I'm sure our lessons on the Chinese revolution breached the single-month timeline.

Do white people really think this self-deprecating talk is supposed to usher in equality for our minority peers?

[Moondancer883]

i say: come to canada, where we don't care what race you are and if someone wants their own month, say, Bob month, just run with it because it's fine either way~

[theothermanoverthere]

MaegSully

I'm a bit short on time, and my coding skills are terrible, so forgive me for responding without quoting everyone who quoted me:

I don't mean that history is or should be a 50/50 split. I mean that it's proportional. From Colleen's homework (from the public school in the South that she attended), the famous chemists and authors she reads about are both white and black, proportional to the invention or type of novel they are learning about. If they're only talking about the theory of evolution, yeah they're going to mention a white guy. But it's not like the schools intentionally ignore black inventions. They're mentioned as well. It just so happens that the majority of the huge, classically studied contributions like evolution, the magna carta, and the atomic theory, were discovered/created by white people. If a black guy was present, I sure as hell bet the school wouldn't ignore that fact.

I'm just saying, note that all of those men listed above are MEN. Does that mean women aren't being properly represented? No. They just didn't come up with that.

I understand that a lot of history studied in the US is not black history... but why should it matter? The things that are chosen to be studied generally have reasons for them. The fact is, that regardless of whether or not there were people holding back African Americans from being able to play a major part in some historic period, they weren't inventing the things that are being studied. It's not discrimination, it just is. We don't teach about Irish history or Indian or Women's history all of the time in schools, but that's because during significant periods of times, less noteworthy accomplishments were made. It doesn't matter that those groups were oppressed, and that's why they didn't have the accomplishments... they still shouldn't be expected to be mentioned equally just because a white guy was mentioned.

There are courses that delve into every history you could possibly want to focus on -- black, women's, Irish, Chinese, African, Egyptian, Jewish, Muslim, ad so on and so forth.

It's not equal, but it shouldn't be. That's like putting racial, gender, and socioeconomic quotas on college admissions. That's the unfair part.

Thank you for you light of intellagents in a dark world.