It was in 1964 when the author James Baldwin reflected on the shortcomings of his education. “When I was going to school,” he said, “I began to be bugged by the teaching of American history because it seemed that that history had been taught without cognizance of my presence.”
Baldwin’s thoughts echoed those of many before and after him. Half a century earlier, when Carter G. Woodson had the same frustration, he set the foundation for what would become today’s national Black History Month, observed each February.
In the early 20th century, while he earned a Masters degree from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Harvard, both in history, Woodson witnessed how black people were underrepresented in the books and conversations that shaped the study of American history. According to the way many historians taught the nation’s past, African Americans were barely part of the story—a narrative that Woodson knew was not true. So in 1915, he and Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, or the ASALH). The organization would promote studying black history as a discipline and celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans.
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13 comments:
It's also a month when school is in session and people stay indoors a lot more. If it were in a summer month there'd be a lot more activity.
Well all I can say about this racism is for studying it what seems like forever we have not learned much have we? Although we did learn we would be racist if we had a white history month!
It must be somewhat successful, because a lot of statues have been torn down, flags banished and schools renamed, all making people feel much better.
It's the shortest month.
1:35 PM - Yeah, slavery-guilted white liberals feel a lot better now that all of those triggers are gone.
What about a White Month? How do you like BET,OWN and all that? Yet if there was a white channel all hell would break out. We white people are to kind only because most of us don't care one way or the other. Good for them. I wish they felt the same about us. (map)
It’s just another example of liberals creating a situation they claim is to help but in reality they try to make blake history different than just history it’s called soft bigotry
Did you read the article there isn't a white history month because every month is white history month ...channels like BET was created because Minories where not allowed roles or underrepresented on other networks .... is opera Winfrey network it doesn't just target black in fact Dr. Phil airs most of weekday morning hours
Besides MLK and Rosa parks name 5 African American figures you learned in school (don't cheat in google) now name 5 you learned about white culture ..,what African American literature was assigned for you to read ...I'll wait...it's not bigaotry it's a push for inclusion
My experience with black history month is just that. A whole month of government programs during working hours and a lot of pot luck lunches during working hours. Only it took a week or more planning. What a joke.
This is a BS month, how come there is no Real American, or Native American month? The poor Indians have always gotten shit on! If we forced the blacks to live like we do the Native American's boy would they have something to whine about!
when is white history month?
How come we don't have an Asian History Month? What about a Mexican History Month? Asians deserve a month before any other race I think. They are very hard workers. They are quiet. They are very respectful to others. Its rare that you ever hear them doing anything wrong.
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