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MlK rosa parks fedrick Douglas, Harriet Tubman or always referenced in American history. There is so much more to learn about how blacks men and women really contributed to this society.
I was really shocked to see Fox News air this. They don't teach this in public school. So much has been left out. Half truths lies etc.
there is a wealth of black history hidden in old newspaper archives that should be uncovered and taught. this is the stuff of 'history in your backyard'. Like the American revolution kids learn about Concord or Valley forge and the local history and battles are overlooked.
NJ for instance, when the slaves were freed some weren't. Say what?
"Death of the Last Slave
Isaac Miller, or better known as "Old Ike", of Green Village, Morris County, died in
Madison a few days ago, at the advanced age of 86. He was the slave of Samuel Roberts,Sen.,who died several years ago, and he belonged to that small class whom the State of NewJersey refused to liberate on account of their age when it abolished slavery...."
Then the first black to vote lived in Perh amboy, NJ
On and on the stoires go......and nobody ever knows
there is a wealth of black history hidden in old newspaper archives that should be uncovered and taught. this is the stuff of 'history in your backyard'. Like the American revolution kids learn about Concord or Valley forge and the local history and battles are overlooked.
NJ for instance, when the slaves were freed some weren't. Say what?
"Death of the Last Slave
Isaac Miller, or better known as "Old Ike", of Green Village, Morris County, died in
Madison a few days ago, at the advanced age of 86. He was the slave of Samuel Roberts,Sen.,who died several years ago, and he belonged to that small class whom the State of NewJersey refused to liberate on account of their age when it abolished slavery...."
Then the first black to vote lived in Perh amboy, NJ
On and on the stoires go......and nobody ever knows
This is true!
I get a LOT of information about black history from old newspaper archives/micro-film.
There were black newspapers starting in the 1800s in this country. Luckily many of them survived or were put on microfilm/digitized for public perusal.
In my area we had a black newspaper for the majority of the 20th century. In other areas across the country, they have had them for much longer. Some of my family originally hailed from Pennsylavnia. I found an account of one of my ancestors who was nearly stolen into slavery as a result of whites looking to enslave free black persons (think "Twelve Years a Slave"). Men heard she and her companions screams and came to their aid. The story was published in a newspaper in 1860.
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 in particular had a huge effect on the lives of free black persons in this country. Many are suspected to have been stolen into slavery. My family actually moved away from PA based upon that incident which occurred to my 4th great grandmother to where I now live in Ohio. The area we live was a hot bed of abolitionist thought and a site on the Underground Rail Road. Many whites here are surprised and proud to learn that our area has a heavily entrenched history of being a place of refuge for all types of people.
The senator who authored the 13th amendment freeing the slaves was our area's representative. It is always shocking to people when I tell them these things. I never learned any of this in our local public schools. It was only because I found the "local history department" at our library and I love to read and learn so decided to sit as a kid in the air conditioned library and read about local history. It was pretty interesting and fascinating.
I usually do the same thing for most local areas of which I live. I know a lot about Detroit as well, as I lived there for a time. I know a lot about Atlanta, GA and of Chicago, IL. Due to my family being from PA, I know a lot about Dauphin and Lancaster counties in particular in PA. I know a lot about southern Ohio as my family lived in southern and central Ohio for some time before moving to NW Ohio. I know about SE Indiana and the free persons of color in those areas. I know about "co-habitation registers" which recorded the marriages of slaves post the Civil War by the Freedman's Bureau. I know about modern history, post Civil War and the system of contract labor and lynchings and the role of black persons, organizations, and churches during those eras. I never get tired of learning more details. I recently discovered another line on my maternal/paternal side (my mom's dad) were also free people of color, originally from Lancaster County, PA. They subsequently moved to Canada (Chatham area in Ontario) after the Christiana riot.
I am attempting to discover if they were involved in the riot, hence their need to flee the area. They lived in Canada until the turn of the 20th century after the patriarch died. The patriarch (my 5th great grandfather) had 4 sons. All of them went down to the states and joined the USCT and fought in the war. I am planning on going up to Canada and doing some research on this family.
I have found a similar article regarding my 4th great grandfather being the oldest living veteran of the Civil War in his town in the 1900s in Michigan in a local newspaper.
MlK rosa parks fedrick Douglas, Harriet Tubman or always referenced in American history. There is so much more to learn about how blacks men and women really contributed to this society.
I was really shocked to see Fox News air this. They don't teach this in public school. So much has been left out. Half truths lies etc.
All history is condensed. If I want to know more about the Irish coming to America or teach my kids the contributions of Irish-Americans, I can go to the library, use youtube or google it. Today we have more access to information than ever before. I minored in AA Studies and my professor used to have a field day with Black people who would complain that they wanted to etach their kids about Black history but couldn't find it. He used to say "There's a big building about 10 blocks from here. It's filled with books. It's free to go there and you can even take the books home with you. They have more books than you could ever read on Black history. Are you familiar with the public library? How many times have you taken your kids there to look for Black history books?". No one had ever taken their kids there (although many did after that kick in the azz).
He also stressed learning to read between the lines. He pointed out that often times the history was right under our noses, we were just too blind to see it. He also taught History and I took him for the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. Several of the students crossed over into his history class because he was very good. At the end of the course, he asked us, the students from the AA studies class if we remembered his lectures about history being right there under our noses? He asked the entire class "Who was Hannibal?". We all knew Hannibal was the 1st man to conquer Rome. He asked "What color was Hannibal?" We all said "White" in unison. He asked "Where was Hannibal from?" We all said "Carthage". He asked "What continent is Carthage on?". We all said "Africa". He asked "What animals did Hannibal famously use to cross the Alps?". We were all smiling by now and we said "Elephants.". "Asian elephants?" he asked? No, "African elephants" we answered. "What color were Hannibal's soldiers? he asked? We all said "Black or brown". "So" he said, "Hannibal, from North Africa, who crossed the Alps on African elephants, with African soldiers, was White? Veeeeery interesting. Now open your textbooks to the picture of a Roman coin with Hannibal's likeness on it, on p.2XX." Hannibal is just one example, but it was a great lesson that often times the history is there, we just aren't using our minds properly.
Btw, unless my memory is bad (it's been 20 years), this is the Roman coin in question.....
The baptist church my paternal line attended also had two slaves in its congregation in the 1930s who were interviewed by the government for the Library of Congress's Slave Narrative Collection.
One of those women, was well known by my family. My older cousin, who is in her 70s knew this woman who used to be a slave. It really puts into perspective that this history is really not that far removed from us. The formerly enslaved woman was approximately 112 when she died in the 1950s. In her narrative she told of how when the war ended, her master would not allow her to leave the plantation. She had to stay on the plantation and remain a slave for another 20 years before she finally "escaped" in the 1880s. Things like this are also not readily known but they were actually pretty common after the war. Master's refusing to let parents take their children off the plantation was also very common.
How much German American or Irish American, or Polish, Italian.. take you pick is separated from "White" American History. American History is just that "AMERICAN" Don't blame it on the separation of the races or cultures. Blame it on the modern school system....They don't even teach the name of one of the first to die for American Freedom from England! Not because he was a Black man but because they don't teach it period!!!
All history is condensed. If I want to know more about the Irish coming to America or teach my kids the contributions of Irish-Americans, I can go to the library, use youtube or google it. Today we have more access to information than ever before. I minored in AA Studies and my professor used to have a field day with Black people who would complain that they wanted to etach their kids about Black history but couldn't find it. He used to say "There's a big building about 10 blocks from here. It's filled with books. It's free to go there and you can even take the books home with you. They have more books than you could ever read on Black history. Are you familiar with the public library? How many times have you taken your kids there to look for Black history books?". No one had ever taken their kids there (although many did after that kick in the azz).
He also stressed learning to read between the lines. He pointed out that often times the history was right under our noses, we were just too blind to see it. He also taught History and I took him for the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire. Several of the students crossed over into his history class because he was very good. At the end of the course, he asked us, the students from the AA studies class if we remembered his lectures about history being right there under our noses? He asked the entire class "Who was Hannibal?". We all knew Hannibal was the 1st man to conquer Rome. He asked "What color was Hannibal?" We all said "White" in unison. He asked "Where was Hannibal from?" We all said "Carthage". He asked "What continent is Carthage on?". We all said "Africa". He asked "What animals did Hannibal famously use to cross the Alps?". We were all smiling by now and we said "Elephants.". "Asian elephants?" he asked? No, "African elephants" we answered. "What color were Hannibal's soldiers? he asked? We all said "Black or brown". "So" he said, "Hannibal, from North Africa, who crossed the Alps on African elephants, with African soldiers, was White? Veeeeery interesting. Now open your textbooks to p.2XX." Hannibal is just one example, but it was a great lesson that often times the history is there, we just aren't using our minds properly.
Btw, unless my memory is bad (it's been 20 years), this is the Roman coin in question.....
ITA with you as well. I don't think it is the responsibility of my school system to teach my kids about black history. FWIW, I teach a lot of kids about black history. It is my passion and I'm sure my kids hate that I talk about it so much. We spend a lot of time at the library. I make my 7 year old read short biographies of not well known black people who were "black heros" IMO and especially in regards to science.
On you comments about Hannibal, I am always surprised to see people respond as well like your classmates did. However, I will point out that many white people will not admit that Hannibal was not white. I got into a discussion in another forum where they did not believe that the Moors were black even though Europeans depicted them as such and described them as such. So I do feel that there are people who attempt to "white wash" history, but in general, like you mentioned above, if you want to know, it is not hard to go to the library and get some reading material.
I suggest all black people read everything they can written by Carter G. Woodson, the "father" of black history. He is my ultimate historian crush lol. Also all of the "narratives" you can find. One that is interesting to me is the narrative of Olauda Equiano. People do not know about him.
How much German American or Irish American, or Polish, Italian.. take you pick is separated from "White" American History. American History is just that "AMERICAN" Don't blame it on the separation of the races or cultures. Blame it on the modern school system....They don't even teach the name of one of the first to die for American Freedom from England! Not because he was a Black man but because they don't teach it period!!!
All of the Europeans you mentioned have a fascinating history IMO here in America and in Europe. I learned a lot about German, Irish and Polish Americans in general due to them being prominent in my local area and all of them having lived in/around my ancestors in our city. They and the Jews. IMO it is important as well to tell their stories.
How much Black History does the average person know? How much stuff do you see every day that came from the mind of a Black men AND women? Maybe there should be a class about "who to thank for this stuff" I think many would be surprised!
MlK rosa parks fedrick Douglas, Harriet Tubman or always referenced in American history. There is so much more to learn about how blacks men and women really contributed to this society.
I was really shocked to see Fox News air this. They don't teach this in public school. So much has been left out. Half truths lies etc.
ITA with you as well. I don't think it is the responsibility of my school system to teach my kids about black history. FWIW, I teach a lot of kids about black history. It is my passion and I'm sure my kids hate that I talk about it so much. We spend a lot of time at the library. I make my 7 year old read short biographies of not well known black people who were "black heros" IMO and especially in regards to science.
On you comments about Hannibal, I am always surprised to see people respond as well like your classmates did. However, I will point out that many white people will not admit that Hannibal was not white. I got into a discussion in another forum where they did not believe that the Moors were black even though Europeans depicted them as such and described them as such. So I do feel that there are people who attempt to "white wash" history, but in general, like you mentioned above, if you want to know, it is not hard to go to the library and get some reading material.
I suggest all black people read everything they can written by Carter G. Woodson, the "father" of black history. He is my ultimate historian crush lol. Also all of the "narratives" you can find. One that is interesting to me is the narrative of Olauda Equiano. People do not know about him.
What are you talking about?
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