Posted on 02/23/2002 9:02:02 AM PST by prman
Not many people know that what is now called Black History Month actually began as "Negro History Week," established by black educator Carter Godwin Woodson and other scholars in 1926 as way to combat the ignorance and deliberate distortion of black history in this country.
In those days, people of African descent were visibly missing from any scholarship or intellectual discourse that dealt with civilization, and were so dehumanized and their history so distorted, even in educated circles, that "slavery, peonage, segregation and lynching" were considered justifiable conditions.
Initially conceived as a weeklong series of meetings, exhibitions, lectures and symposia organized as the culmination of the scientific study of the African experience, it has in the years since the civil rights revolution expanded to the entire month of February. Many think it should even be a yearlong celebration.
Today, however, the question should be asked if the monthlong observance has outlived its usefulness. Or has it become simply divisive and counterproductive?
Black History Month was designed to be educational and informational in nature – a way to set the record straight about the achievements and contributions of black people in America. In doing so, it dispelled myths and misconceptions about African-Americans and their culture in a way that would promote racial understanding and healing.
In recent years, everyone seems to have jumped on board this monthlong "observance." Universities, magazines and newspapers, museums, concert halls, radio and television programs – virtually all the organs of popular and civic culture have made obeisance to Black History Month in their offerings. One cannot say, then, that not enough attention has been paid to these issues.
The danger is that the month that now celebrates the history of black achievement has not only become just another example of racial tokenism, but, in its worst manifestation, it has turned into a platform for political and ideological propaganda and sheer hucksterism.
Thus colleges and universities lard up their "celebrations" with events that are overtly designed to be politically provocative: lectures about Herrnstein and Murray's controversial 1994 study, "The Bell Curve," and black intelligence; films on female genital mutilation; papers that encourage the use of Black English; non-sequitur discussions on "Race, Gender and Economic Equality"; even student awards for artistic expression that "demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity, equity, social justice and human rights."
Newspapers run multi-part stories that hector readers into feeling guilty about de facto segregation, or report about some incident of local discrimination, or feature puff pieces by marketers that want to cash in by repackaging video and DVD releases of movies and TV shows featuring black artists and subjects.
After having extolled the most prominent and well-known African Americans year after year in their stories, magazines and newspapers are now having to develop articles about black "unknowns," as yet unsung, who are also making contributions to their communities.
As praiseworthy as this idea might seem, it comes perilously close to a manufactured "feel-good" journalism in which everybody gets his or her 15 minutes' turn for fame.
And every February, numerous "studies" appear, usually by unknown and suspect institutions, that serve up astounding headlines like "Few Black Teachers in Nation's Classrooms." Their claims are reported uncritically and unchallenged in the papers as an example of a "lack of diversity" and "the lack of black role models," which need public attention, and that can only be remedied, according to these "experts," by increased education spending by government.
Ironically, the same newspapers that wring their hands about the lack of black role models spend many gallons of printer's ink throughout the year lionizing notables like Snoop Doggy Dog, P. Diddy, Suge Knight and other no-talents in the demimonde pop culture who leech off the disposable income of adolescents.
Regardless of its original good intentions, Black History Month has become in the eyes of many merely a ritualized, "say something nice about African Americans" event that agenda-driven organizations have co-opted for their own purposes, and that media are afraid to let go for fear of appearing not "demographic" enough.
In a society where Martin Luther King Jr. preached the ideals of integration and blindness to color, a month of publicity and propaganda devoted to those of only one hue - by emphasizing the hyphen in "hyphenated American" –seems stubbornly contrary to his inclusive vision.
If it's absolutely necessary for the country to have an annual Black History Month – as predictable as the spring rains – can Hispanic, Lithuanian, Oriental, Italian, Greek and Fill-In-The-Blank History months be far behind?
Barrett Kalellis is a commentator whose columns appear in The Detroit News, NewsMax.com, TownHall.com, National Review Online and other print and online publications.
Ignorant comments like these continue to prove the need for Black History Month.
Ignorant comments like these continue to prove the need for Black History Month.
Damn, I forgot, March is Women's history month. Well, this gives me a reason to look forward to April.
You'd try to sell ice to an Eskimo.
I'll let you go. You're slow-pitch softballs are starting to look like beachballs anyway.
Poor kid - she just didn't understand.
What the hell ever happened to Asian History Month? Tibetan History Month? Afghanistan History Month??? Start a White History Month and see how fast your house is burned down!!!
I put up with Black Math, Black English (don't axe me!) and Black Science. All I can say in response to this retardness is Your Mama's Mama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rap at the Olympics! God save us all!
It boils down to this: those that want to deal with BHM will and those that don't want to won't. I'm not attached to what people do with or about BHM.
Along with multi-cult and environmental religion, Black History Month is displacing reading lessons. So, no, BHM hasn't outlived its usefulness in propagating the next generation of illiterate dependents.
Nat X - Saturday Night Live
Judging from their music and their movies, blacks also believe they invented sex.
Some also believe the parents of Jesus were black. I was given a Christmas card one year where Joseph had a full Afro and looked similar to Bill Cosby in "Uptown Saturday Night". The card-giver noticed my look of surprise and said "They were Ethiopian, you know."
Not for liberals. Liberals must divide and generate hate and waring factions to stay in power.
You will never see this as a front page question in the Wash comPost/NY Times...
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.