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Slavery was a few paragraphs in my history book, which made it sound like slavery was a blessing for savage Africans in the jungle. The paragraph would be accompanied by a picture of slaves singing, smiling, while picking cotton.
I'm wondering where you lived that you had books like that. (You don't have to be specific I'm just curious.)
I understand the good intentions behind the "colorblind" attitude but it isn't realistic. Young children of all races and ethnicities need to see role models in all walks of life. Many poor, urban, black children do not see enough role models who are academically successful. Lists like these can make it seem possible. The reality is upper and middle class children of all races and ethnicities see those role models in their daily lives.
And just as a personal note, jewish isn't a race. I am sure you realize that but as it falls in a list of races, and in a post about races, its worth noting.
Of course the world isnt colorblind, but I would hope this forum would be and thus I just dont understand the point of this post. It just seems to be pointing out that there are successful black people which we know they are.
And as a religion Judaism is world spanning and covers all ethnicities and races but as an ancestral heritage, people of anchestral Judaism, tend to share a common ancestry and people who are jewish tend to recognize themselves as jewish over the other race they may belong. This is not an all inclusive concept but tends to be a pretty standard generalization.
I'm wondering where you lived that you had books like that. (You don't have to be specific I'm just curious.)
You would think the deep south, but actually Northern Illinois. In the late 80's, the school district had to be sued to desegregate the schools (1989 to be exact, long after the Civil Rights Movement) and the resentment of that forced changed lingers to this day.
Well, I know it's nice to see specific groups of people who made it that are relevant to your culture. I think blacks in America have a separate culture from Africans. It's good to have role models. If my child was white I would point out white woman with similarities, maybe we are from a small town so I would pick a white woman that made it out of the small town to Washington or something like that. If Korean and in America maybe a successful Korean Woman to made her way in the United States. I don't see why that's different from black Americans wanting to do the same. I've heard white men use examples of other white men who are successful, with similarities such as coming from nothing, making their way to millions with no money. Maybe they didn't realize those examples they gave were white men but they did realize they were poor as they started out. I think you try and get as close to the child's view of who they are as possible. A black child would simply know that despite any disadvantage he thought he might have there are people like him that got over those.
I don't see how this is racist at all, nothing more than inspiring really. It's just cultural, IMO. I guess some people don't identify with black Americans having their own culture separate from others.
Depending on how old your grandparents are, or your family history be it in the south or north I think you have had a different view of America if your black than white and I think as a parent you instill that just like decedents from Ireland explain how others overcame obstacles coming to America and mention some famous Irish Americans. This is just how I look at it. I don't get the "hyper anti-racists" either I guess.
Last edited by PoppySead; 03-25-2012 at 08:50 PM..
Reason: spelling ugg!
Women have always been significant influences in Barack Obama's life. He credits his late mother, Ann Dunham, with instilling the values that shaped his approach to politics. Barack Obama also gives thanks to his mother for educating him on his own African-American heritage. As Barack Obama had a distant relationship with his father, he refers to his mother as "the one who was the single constant in my life.”
To be fair the list in the OP said parents not fathers.
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