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YapCity..."I am however resentful of my educational system that I had black history rammed down my throat my entire life, but I didn't learn the history of my own people until I decided to study it myself."
Okay...Why is it that you describe being taught history as having it 'rammed down your throat'? The one month we spend concentrating on black history, which is a part of U.S. history (OUR history) is a small part of the school year. The other 8-9 months are white history...although it isn't specifically called by that name, most of the history that has been and is being taught in schools concerns white America and historically has ignored black people. I guess if you look at education in general it IS kind of jammed down the kids' throats, but that's because we can't allow them to choose what they want to learn. The curriculum is set by the state, and the teachers are required to 'jam it down the throats' of the students.
History education involves teaching and learning about lots of different people, cultures, events, and places. It's silly to ignore any part of history, and Black History Month ensures that at least some history involving people of color will be included. Maybe in the future we can simply learn history, without purposefully excluding anyone or anything and without prejudices, then we won't have a need for Black History Month. Until then it is necessary to make sure history lessons include REAL history, not just the parts that you're comfortable with.
Didn't the communist countries teach selective history that glorified their governments, leaving out anything that could be viewed as a failure?
"rammed down my throat" as in my level of interest was exceeded long before their program was finished. Yes, I was interested, to a point. As for "white history" being the rest of the year, PLEASE stop making those ignorant statements. It's not alll about black and white. What about Asian history? Sure we had some hispanic history, but it was minimal compared to the black history we were force-fed, and it was so far back and irrelevant to modern times it wasn't really that interesting. As for "white" history... all I studied in school was WASP history, barely.
Where in the world do you live anyway? Texas? Alabama? In New York things are different, MUCH different. Like I've said in other posts I knew nothing of my own heritage until I decided to study it myself. I'm not saying we need to eliminate the study of black history, but it should represent the demographic of the country. The same goes for other groups. For crying out loud I LIVE IN NEW YORK and I didn't realize that Irish gangs were such an issue until I saw "Gangs of New York" which prompted me to study it. This should not have happened, but my schools chose to ignore that little piece of history.
Always remember, forcing people to do something they don't want to do only makes them abhor the subject or activity. There are better ways to introduce black history than the sledgehammer approach. The bottom line is, I'm a white American of Irish, German, and English descent. I want to know where I come from first. I want to know about my history. Sure I can study it on my own, but just like my example with NY gangs, you have to KNOW it was there in order to study it. Thats why we need more of this discussed in public school. If not to educate, then to at least give kids a "teaser" so they know it's there, and can study it more in depth on their own. Sure blacks and slavery are a part of my history too, but I just never cared to study it as much as it was forced upon me.
"rammed down my throat" as in my level of interest was exceeded long before their program was finished. Yes, I was interested, to a point. As for "white history" being the rest of the year, PLEASE stop making those ignorant statements. It's not alll about black and white. What about Asian history? Sure we had some hispanic history, but it was minimal compared to the black history we were force-fed, and it was so far back and irrelevant to modern times it wasn't really that interesting. As for "white" history... all I studied in school was WASP history, barely.
Where in the world do you live anyway? Texas? Alabama? In New York things are different, MUCH different. Like I've said in other posts I knew nothing of my own heritage until I decided to study it myself. I'm not saying we need to eliminate the study of black history, but it should represent the demographic of the country. The same goes for other groups. For crying out loud I LIVE IN NEW YORK and I didn't realize that Irish gangs were such an issue until I saw "Gangs of New York" which prompted me to study it. This should not have happened, but my schools chose to ignore that little piece of history.
Always remember, forcing people to do something they don't want to do only makes them abhor the subject or activity. There are better ways to introduce black history than the sledgehammer approach. The bottom line is, I'm a white American of Irish, German, and English descent. I want to know where I come from first. I want to know about my history. Sure I can study it on my own, but just like my example with NY gangs, you have to KNOW it was there in order to study it. Thats why we need more of this discussed in public school. If not to educate, then to at least give kids a "teaser" so they know it's there, and can study it more in depth on their own. Sure blacks and slavery are a part of my history too, but I just never cared to study it as much as it was forced upon me.
We need a better balance.
-TT
I understand what you mean by 'rammed down my throat.' I once took this course called "Oppression in Literature" at Stony Brook. It should have been called "How To Learn to Kow-Tow to Feminists with Second-rate Intellects if you don't want to Fail."
Those educators specializing in diversity should realize that trying to indocrinate people only turns them off.
Obivously their is some closeted predjudice people on this board, because for the past few weeks their has been quite a few posts talking about how blacks bring negative things to our communities.
I thought it was illegal immigrants, but now how blacks can bring a community down. Folks, this is embarrassing. (sp)
I understand what you mean by 'rammed down my throat.' I once took this course called "Oppression in Literature" at Stony Brook. It should have been called "How To Learn to Kow-Tow to Feminists with Second-rate Intellects if you don't want to Fail."
Those educators specializing in diversity should realize that trying to indocrinate people only turns them off.
Ahh yes, feminists. The very definition of shooting ones self in the foot.
That's another thread, but I never started it because I know it will turn into a battle between cats and dogs.
I spent most of my teens in Kings Park school district. I'm discussing public school because this is where the least amount of choice is for the student.
I know that those with an underlying social agenda are still a problem at the university level, but it's just nuts in public school. WAY too many liberals and guilty whites running LI schools IMHO.
Maybe this is just a New York thing? I keep reading responses from people saying we don't have enough black history in schools. I can't imagine them ever attending in LI, lol. Is this just a northeast problem maybe?
YapCity, you have to admit the history taught in school's is very eurocentric.
Uhhm, THE UNITED STATES is eurocentric, but history in public school, not NEARLY enough. The majority of citizens are of EUROPEAN descent. Coincidentally, the majority of TAXPAYERS who pay for the public education system are of european descent. WHY in the world should we be "afrocentric"? We should STUDY it, but it's not the majority here. Education should consider the broader audience, not the screaming special interest and minority groups.
Women won the right to work along side men. Sure, seemed like a great idea at the time.
Now what? You NEED a dual income in this country to support a family at a comfortable level. Big win. Sure it's made our economy grow by leaps and bounds, but it has also completely destroyed the family unit as we once knew it.
Black history they never would have given you to read
Quote:
Originally Posted by YapCity
Uhhm, THE UNITED STATES is eurocentric, but history in public school, not NEARLY enough. The majority of citizens are of EUROPEAN descent. Coincidentally, the majority of TAXPAYERS who pay for the public education system are of european descent. WHY in the world should we be "afrocentric"? We should STUDY it, but it's not the majority here. Education should consider the broader audience, not the screaming special interest and minority groups.
-TT
"American Hunger" by Richard Wright. There's another version in a book called "The God That Failed" ed. by Arthur Koestler. It's his personal account of how he got booted out of the Communist Party in the 50's cause he wouldn't accept "Party Discipline."
O' course, to a lot of these academo-types, Communists are veritable nominees for sainthood. You know history, you know they're not.
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Black history they never would have given you to read
