Replies

My point is, this is just a bunch of lip service, and McDonalds should be called on it. This is a shameless attempt by a large corporation to pander to the black people by spouting meaningless platitudes about how much they care about black history. The people who work at McDonalds couldn't give a crap about "black history month." And I'm talking about the black employees too! In fact, it appears to me that many black people resent the whole "black history month" thing anyhow because it is so apparent that it is a meaningless and hollow gesture put forth by guilt-ridden white liberals to create the false impression that they are "celebrating" black history. To prove my point, go to any of these self-proclaimed "enlightened" liberals and ask them if they know who Dred Scott was.

ROFL, this teacher just might do that!

Who was Dred Scott? Uhhh, the guy who started the dread-locks hairstyle?
Who was Rosa Parks? Wasn't she that old lady who video-taped the Rodney King beating?
Who was George Washington Carver? Umm, wasn't he the first President?
How did the 3/5 count of blacks in the census affect the South? Those racist pigs passed that to keep the black man down!
Which party passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act? The DEMOCRATS, of course!
Who was Crispus Attucks? Didn't Col. Sanders steal the idea for KFC from him?
Name anything written by Maya Angelou. Ummmm, are you gonna order, or what?

There's the true rub.

I was raised in a school system where black history was emphasized not only during "black history month," but all year 'round.

Moreover, one of the things that my parents forced me to learn in addition, is the contributions that blacks made to this country, along with the contributions of all Americans. The key is that we are all Americans first.

I happen to be black, but I'm an American. You might notice that I refuse (in general) to use the term "African" American. There are several reasons. First, and formost, I've never been to Africa. I was born and raised in Indiana. The only place I've even visited outside the borders of this country is Canada. I'm proud to be an American. This is my home.

In addition, Jesse Jackson came up with the term African American. I never asked him to determine what I should be referred to as. I have no problem being referred to as black. Doesn't offend me, that's what I am. But I digress.

As I mentioned in another thread last week, there are many people of color whose contributions to this society are largely ignored by many, most notably by the "poverty pimps" simply because their work and their lives do not serve the greedy ends of the Jesse Jacksons and Cynthia McKinneys of the world.

There are inventors, businessmen, politicians, doctors, entertainers, authors, engineers, and people of many other walks of life whose work needs to be seen not only by blacks but by everyone, simply because their work contributed to the makeup and lifeblood of the United States.

All people together created this country, and all people together need to know of the roles of everyone who participated, where possible. The McDonald's calendar, while noble in concept, fails in one light - that it was created simply to appease those who would blackmail a company like it to begin with. (read "Operation PUSH & Rev. Jackson)

I'm not advocating ramming this knowledge down someone's throat. But it is certainly my responsibility to make sure that my children know of the contributions of people of all walks of life to the lifeblood of this country, and certainly of the roles played by people of color in it.