Posted on 06/14/2005 10:01:42 AM PDT by NewDestiny
Black History Course Mandated for Philadelphia Schools By Monisha Bansal CNSNews.com Correspondent June 13, 2005
CNSNews.com) - The Philadelphia public school system, citing the fact that blacks encompass two-thirds of its student population, will require all students to take an African-American history course starting in September. But a conservative critic calls the decision divisive and claims Philadelphia parents "are sacrificing their children to a bunch of America-hating black liberals."
Joe Lyons, spokesperson for the School District of Philadelphia, said there has been a public outcry since the 1960s "to include more emphasis on African-American history and culture in our curriculum."
But it wasn't until February of this year that the city's School Reform Commission approved adding the African-American history class requirement.
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, president of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND) told Cybercast News Service that he was "outraged" by the decision. "They need to be learning about this country, because they are American, they are not African. They need to be learning the greatness of America so that they can have a greater appreciation and love of their own country," said Peterson.
"Our children are already suffering with this notion that they are African-Americans. They have been brainwashed to believe they are not full Americans. It will further divide rather than unite. Parents are sacrificing their children to a bunch of America-hating black liberals," Peterson added.
Lyons said the curriculum for the course was developed by Molefi Kete Asante, professor of African-American Studies at Temple University. It begins with African history and extends through the history of African-Americans.
Lyons said "when you look into African history, there are very few textbooks developed, and all of them are at a college level, but we are working on that." The district plans on using the textbook, "The African Odyssey," authored by Michigan State University history professor Darlene Clark Hine.
According to Lyons, the curriculum is being researched to develop more history electives focusing on other minorities.
Black History Course Mandated for Philadelphia Schools
http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCulture.asp?Page=\Culture\archive\200506\CUL20050613a.html
You don't know much African history then.
Molon Labe abigail.
There are government schools in this country that teach those???
Yeah, a three chapter book.
1) Egypt
2) Africans sell their brothers into slavery.
3) Edi Amin, Robert Mugabe and other modern day giants.
Egypt has a long rich history but it wrong to teach that it was an entirely black history.
It wasn't.
----------------------------------------
Someone shoulda told Anwar Sadat that.
Absolutely unnecessary and not funny except maybe to those trapped in some cultural time warp.
Mine wasn't too bad in that area, and I had some excellent teachers, but on average, particularly in the city of Philly, I have my doubts.
Looks like Halle Berry to me (who is a mixture of black and white). If she was in the South during segregation, probably would have been thought of as black and thus be under the same rules of segregation as any other black person.
That's gonna take further 'splainin'.
Anwar Sadat's mother was 100% Black African.
After an hour or more of web surfing I find 2 references to Sadat's Sudanese "Afrabian" mother.
I don't really know what your point is (what country has more mixed race families than the U.S.) but I don't think I'd bet the farm on his mother being 100% Black African.
At this stage of history how many 100% Egyptians do you think there are?
Hard to support with Sadat's parentage...remember who played him in the movie of his life? Lou Gosset.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.