African American History Must Be Taught (Rep. Brady's Office)

Philadelphia Inquirer ^ | 06/14/2005 | Karen Warrington

[americaprd]

Some people are asking: How can the Philadelphia public school system mandate teaching African and African American history? But others of us are asking: How have school officials justified not teaching it in a school district where nearly two-thirds of all students are African American?

America is so diverse that we should be teaching the stories of all its people, whether it is Greco-Roman history, including Greek mythology; Ireland's potato famine; the exodus of Eastern Europeans to America; or the roles so many other groups played here, including Italians, Germans, Asians and Latinos. This should all be part of the public school curriculum - and rightly so.

Fundamental to the story of America's development, however, is the enslavement of black people and slavery's impact on our economy and social fabric. That story is particularly important in Philadelphia, where 45 percent of the city's 1.4 million residents are African American and another 40,000 to 45,000 are African born.

In the 1960s, when I was in high school in Philadelphia, we were taught European American history. My history book had one page dedicated to the peculiar institution of slavery. It was accompanied by a lithograph of black people picking cotton. Basically, the text read something like this: "Negro slaves lived on plantations in the South where they picked cotton and took care of their master's house and children. They were a happy and nappy people who loved to dance and sing."

There was no historian's explanation of how Africans were captured, shackled, tortured, raped, and sold as chattel. No accounting of the millions of Africans who died during the years of the Middle Passage, when slaves were transported across the Atlantic Ocean.

[americaprd]

The author of this op-ed is Karen Warrington, Communications Director for Congressman Bob Brady. Brady is also Chair of the Philadelphia Democratic Party.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the Democrats looking to further solidify their powerbase in the City ahead of Sen Santorum's upcoming reelection??

[lilylangtree]

You hit the nail on the head--politics.

[Maceman]

I'd settle for AMERICAN history month.

[2banana]

There was no historian's explanation of how Africans were captured, shackled, tortured, raped, and sold as chattel. No accounting of the millions of Africans who died during the years of the Middle Passage, when slaves were transported across the Atlantic Ocean.

Nothing on how African tribes sold blacks into slavery. Nothing on the muslims taking more black (and white) slaves than in all of North America. Nothing on how free blacks owned slaves. Nothing on the half million mostly white men who died freeing the slaves...

[KarlInOhio]

Aren't kids already taught more about George Washington Carver than George Washington?

[Paul Atreides]

American history falls under the subject of American history, regardless of the person's race.

African history falls under the subject of world history.

[JoJo Gunn]

Leftists are crazy as hell. They holler about discrimination, yet also holler so much about focusing on differences.

If there's so much as one word about "Diversity", I mentally throw it into the trash pile.

[Paul Atreides]

Actually, I think they are taught more about ribbed Trojans and Heather and her two mommies, than anything.

[plain talk]

while they are at it be sure and include info about the african slave trading that went on before the american institution of slavery and is still going on.

[ncountylee]

Will the Islamic aspects be ignored?

http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/SStephan/islamic_slavery.htm

[My2Cents]

My son just finished reading Mona Charen's recent book, DO-GOODERS. He said that she reports on an American history textbook used in God-forsaken school district that has three (3!) articles on World War 2 -- one is on Japanese internment, and another was on the treatment of Italian-Americans during the war.

[Maceman]

The Democrats, as always, are looking to perpetuate the cycle of racism and hatred for another generation.

[G.Mason]

Karen Warrington, instead of complaining about a lack of true black history being taught, could put some "facts" together to be used to teach the African-Americans just how it came to pass that they hit the lottery by coming to America.

A little blurb about how to cash in that winning ticket wouldn't hurt either.

[Old Professer]

Another leach line in the bubbling public septic system surfaces, I see.

[HonestConservative]

Interesting that when I was in school in the Phila. area, 40% of the kids were Irish, 40% Italian and the balance a mix of Poles and Germans etc.

We had your basic American History as well. It wasn't an issue that we got no details on the history of any one European Country. That was up to independent study.

But in those days, we could all READ, so that made independent study possible.

[johnny7]

Will they be taught about the Democrats destruction of the black, family unit?

[Soliton]

Of 10,000,000 slaves taken to the new world, 5% came to what became the United States.

[libs_kma]

"Will they be taught about the Democrats destruction of the black, family unit?"

Yeah, funny how that didn't rate even a mention....

[johnny7]

Funny how nobody in the MSM focused on Robert Byrd... the day the Senate apologized for black lynchings either.

[TSgt]

Nothing on how African tribes sold blacks into slavery. Nothing on the muslims taking more black (and white) slaves than in all of North America. Nothing on how free blacks owned slaves. Nothing on the half million mostly white men who died freeing the slaves...

That didn't happen. White Americans went to Africa and captured blacks in nets like butterflies and then brought them back to America to sell them, or at least that was what I was taught in Publik Skool. ;)