Has Black History Month Outlived Its Usefulness?

NewsMax.com ^ | Feb. 21, 2002 | Barrett Kalellis

[prman]

I agree.

[ffrancone]

Actually, I think this shows progress. In 1926, white americans distorted black history. Today, american black have the power to do it themselves.

[Ahban]

Has Black History Month Outlived Its Usefulness?

Yes.

[cibco]

I thought it was "Olympics Month".

[Joe Boucher]

exactly what relevence was there in this nonsence to begin with?

[FreedomFriend]

I was debating a fellow freeper on another thread about the absurd notion that we need a black history month.

My point is this. Having a black history month, while excluding every other group, is prejudiced and biased in its own regard. Thus, what should happen is that the real, not fabricated, examples of black history need to be included in the textbooks. Most textbooks, though, do have them included these days. Thus, the idea of black history is a farse, and it needs to come to an outright conclusion.

I work with several black people, and they'll play their R&B stations. I don't get why these radio stations are always acting like they (blacks) are in a struggle, and that they are "keeping the dream alive". My goodness, it's been over thirty years. It is time to lay it to rest. What gets me more than anything, though, is the stations', as well as many "Black History" programs, that feature blacks who talk about how much farther they have to go. This is absurd, for there are many prominent blacks who have made it on their own merit. Thus, the idea that society is racist, or that they are at a disadvantage, simply doesn't mesh, nor make any sense.

[Big Bunyip]

I don't know about you, but I can't get enough stories about the black man who invented traffic lights.

[Young Rhino]

The most important public service announcement on this issue was done by Eddie Murphy on SNL. He noted that two white men, Mr. Skip and Mr. Jiffy, had stolen the idea of peanut butter from George Washington Carver. :-)

[Young Rhino]

I can't get enough stories about the black man who invented traffic lights.

Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles?

[RightOnline]

"Has Black History Month Outlived Its Usefulness?"

Oh................you mean it was actually supposed to be "useful"?

[RnMomof7]

Yes.

[sweetliberty]

I know I get angry anymore when I hear black this and black that for a solid month, not to mention sometimes for weeks leading into it. Now I have nothing against black people on the whole. I never have. In fact, I was a very loud voice in my pre-civil rights southern neighborhood for the inequities I saw and thought were unjust. One thing that I was born with was a keen sense of justice and injustice and was even ranting about the unfairness of taxes after overhearing the menfolks discussing them before I was ever even in school.

Nowadays I have a different attitude. Oh, I'm not racist by any means according to any TRADITIONAL definition of racism. But I am still a very firm opponent of inequity. It is just that the inequity has shifted and now it is white society that bears the brunt of it. There is a very big difference in attempting to balance things out and in trying to turn the tables and turning the tables is what I have seen happening to a greater and greater degree in modern day liberal America. I agree that black history should be a significant part of education in history. So should Confederate history and Native American history. Having Cherokee ancestry as well as a real interest in Native Americans I was very angry when I found I hadn't been told the whole truth. I did, however, have the common sense and the intelligence to seek out the information that was lacking in my education on my own. I also felt no need to sue anybody because I hadn't been taught things I thought I should have been.

Those who would impose black history on everything and rewrite the history of the Confederacy and remove the portraits of the founding fathers from our public institutions in favor of installing pictures of Malcolm X and others like him are at least as guilty of discrimination and rampant racism as the dominant white culture has ever been at any time. It is my opinion that they do not seek equality and an end to racism; they seek domination of the culture in which they now reign as the supreme racists themselves.

[sweetliberty]

"I can't get enough stories about the black man who invented traffic lights"

ROTFL!

[sweetliberty]

"it would collapse to the "Negro History Minute"

LOL! I hope you checked your security system before you posted that!

[sweetliberty]

"The only thing that has changed is todays Blacks "CHOOSE" slavery."

You said a mouthful there.

[justin4bush]

But it would only be the Negro History Minute because da man wuz keepin um down. Everysbody knowz we needz the black histury mumfh to keep it reel! I'z just takes it one dayz at a time waitin on the gubenment cheks to come in. Someday soonz I shuld gets my reparationz!

Justin