Black History Month is right around the corner...

[Mrtyu-Mara]

So I wanted to discuss the relevancy of "Black History Month", why we should have it, and why only one particular month is designated to one race.

Black History Month is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom (in October) for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African American diaspora. This is the month that all of the hard work of the people who put in for African Americans to be free is celebrated.

While yes, this should definitely be celebrated, why should only this history be remembered each year?

I'd like to include a clip of Morgan Freeman's criticism against Black History Month, only 55 seconds long, but I feel he makes a valid point:



Morgan Freeman states: "I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history."

He feels it is ridiculous, and asks which month is White History Month, which month is Jewish History Month. There are no other months in the United States designated to a certain part of history, so why is February dedicated solely to Black history?

So I want to see some civil discussion on:
Should Black History Month be celebrated? Why, or why not?
Should we dedicate other months to other races and their history? Why, or why not? (I feel some answers to the first question may dip into this one).

[HMS Thunder Child]

[Annoyed]

The rest of the year is designated to white, male history.

[Pseudo-Onkelos]

To be honest, I would have forgotten February is black history month if I had not seen this thread. I never celebrate these months. They're just another month to me.

[Mrtyu-Mara]

Pseudo-Onkelos

To be honest, I would have forgotten February is black history month if I had not seen this thread. I never celebrate these months. They're just another month to me.

It usually goes the same for me, but I'm surprised you don't see other indicators for Black History Month on the internet, or around the place where you live. I see it all the time when the time comes.

[shinigami ryukie]

HMS Thunder Child

[Annoyed]

The rest of the year is designated to white, male history.

Explain how March is now.

[Pseudo-Onkelos]

Ontological Empiricism

Pseudo-Onkelos

To be honest, I would have forgotten February is black history month if I had not seen this thread. I never celebrate these months. They're just another month to me.

It usually goes the same for me, but I'm surprised you don't see other indicators for Black History Month on the internet, or around the place where you live. I see it all the time when the time comes.

Are you referring to me specifically?

[Mrtyu-Mara]

HMS Thunder Child

[Annoyed]

The rest of the year is designated to white, male history.

I'm glad you're annoyed sweetie. That really puts a puff in my petticoat, but why not actually contribute to the discussion at hand?

Why are no other months dedicated to other races in history?

[Mrtyu-Mara]

Pseudo-Onkelos

Ontological Empiricism

Pseudo-Onkelos

To be honest, I would have forgotten February is black history month if I had not seen this thread. I never celebrate these months. They're just another month to me.

It usually goes the same for me, but I'm surprised you don't see other indicators for Black History Month on the internet, or around the place where you live. I see it all the time when the time comes.

Are you referring to me specifically?

I am. I'm referring to you saying you would've forgotten that February is Black History Month had I not pointed it out. I was surprised, because I usually see indicators in many places.

[King Shining Heaven]

We should discuss all history at all times, nt have one month for a particular history

[HMS Thunder Child]

Ontological Empiricism

HMS Thunder Child

[Annoyed]

The rest of the year is designated to white, male history.

I'm glad you're annoyed sweetie. That really puts a puff in my petticoat, but why not actually contribute to the discussion at hand?

Why are no other months dedicated to other races in history?

[Snide]

Don't flatter yourself. The tone markers are for reader convenience.

[Informative]

What do you suppose you are learning the rest of the time? If you are studying history and it excludes all perspectives except for straight, cis, white males, then it is straight, cis, white male history. Asking for a designated month is a bit much considering history classes generally exclude minority perspectives unless the course is geared towards them.

[Pseudo-Onkelos]

Ontological Empiricism

Pseudo-Onkelos

Ontological Empiricism

Pseudo-Onkelos

To be honest, I would have forgotten February is black history month if I had not seen this thread. I never celebrate these months. They're just another month to me.

It usually goes the same for me, but I'm surprised you don't see other indicators for Black History Month on the internet, or around the place where you live. I see it all the time when the time comes.

Are you referring to me specifically?

I am. I'm referring to you saying you would've forgotten that February is Black History Month had I not pointed it out. I was surprised, because I usually see indicators in many places.

That usually happens when one doesn't know the life of another.

[DynaSuarez Wrecks]

HMS Thunder Child

Ontological Empiricism

HMS Thunder Child

[Annoyed]

The rest of the year is designated to white, male history.

I'm glad you're annoyed sweetie. That really puts a puff in my petticoat, but why not actually contribute to the discussion at hand?

Why are no other months dedicated to other races in history?

[Snide]

Don't flatter yourself. The tone markers are for reader convenience.

[Informative]

What do you suppose you are learning the rest of the time? If you are studying history and it excludes all perspectives except for straight, cis, white males, then it is straight, cis, white male history. Asking for a designated month is a bit much considering history classes generally exclude minority perspectives unless the course is geared towards them.

rolleyes The rest of the time, I was probably learning about whatever happened to be on the agenda at that time. I don't know about you, but none of my history teachers ever went out their way to deliberately avoid non-white cultures throughout American and U.S. history just because it wasn't February. In fact, February is the only month where teachers go out of their way to talk about something that wasn't originally on the agenda, which as far as I'm concerned, is a huge problem.

[HMS Thunder Child]

DynaSuarez Wrecks

HMS Thunder Child

Ontological Empiricism

HMS Thunder Child

[Annoyed]

The rest of the year is designated to white, male history.

I'm glad you're annoyed sweetie. That really puts a puff in my petticoat, but why not actually contribute to the discussion at hand?

Why are no other months dedicated to other races in history?

[Snide]

Don't flatter yourself. The tone markers are for reader convenience.

[Informative]

What do you suppose you are learning the rest of the time? If you are studying history and it excludes all perspectives except for straight, cis, white males, then it is straight, cis, white male history. Asking for a designated month is a bit much considering history classes generally exclude minority perspectives unless the course is geared towards them.

rolleyes The rest of the time, I was probably learning about whatever happened to be on the agenda at that time. I don't know about you, but none of my history teachers ever went out their way to deliberately avoid non-white cultures throughout American and U.S. history just because it wasn't February. In fact, February is the only month where teachers go out of their way to talk about something that wasn't originally on the agenda, which as far as I'm concerned, is a huge problem.

[Annoyed]

So your qualm is that it's not according to plan?

Well then fine, here's a suggestion, push for legitimate coverage of black history throughout the year. Not just the brief touching on a few black poets, the Tuskegee Airmen, and Martin Luther King Jr's superiority over Malcolm X.

Talk about lynchings. Talk about state sanctioned slavery up until the Second World War. Talk about the denial of GI benefits to black GIs. Talk about housing discrimination which exists to this day. Talk about white privilege. And so on.

That's not happening. White society won't allow it.

So what do you propose as an alternative?

[Steam Punk Adept]

Ah yes, It's nearly time to once again celebrate "Shame on you for being white" month.

[DynaSuarez Wrecks]

Black history month's designation forces teachers to either: 1) plan their lessons around it so that when it comes time to talk about Martin Luther King or whatever, it happens to coincide with February; or 2) derail the current lecture just to talk about something unrelated to the current agenda. It's black history month's own fault that black history seems to only be important during that one month. The obvious solution is to stop designating one single month as a time to focus on one aspect of history and let the curricula just work itself out.