Did we forget....

[bigdicki]

It's Black History Month. Other than my man TVSurfer's daily photo tribute (nice pic to cap it off too!), did we forget it's Black History Month? I am not sure if this forum is the appropriate venue for such things but it is a BLACK T-girls forum.

And it's not just here that this month seems to have been forgotten. Every year, in one of the Blackest cities in the USA, I see less and less celebration and education during this month. Maybe that is a sign of not needing it anymore and everyone being "progressive" or more likely it's us Black folk not being motivated enough to create celebrations of our culture and history. Puerto Rican Festival is on and poppin' every year here with celebrations and education. Latino Heritage month has no shortage of festivals and educational events. What is happening to us?

[CosmicTraveler]

I didn't forget. I'm just... not really concerned with it. After years of public schools regurgitating the same bits of black history in an attempt to seem tolerant, I just don't care. If I'm interested in something I don't need a specific month in the year to tell me to be.

[bigdicki]

I didn't forget. I'm just... not really concerned with it. After years of public schools regurgitating the same bits of black history in an attempt to seem tolerant, I just don't care. If I'm interested in something I don't need a specific month in the year to tell me to be.

No offense whatsoever, but there is only one problem with that. Most schools, particularly majority white schools, don't teach a true version of history. I went to a majority White/Latin high school on the north side of Chicago. Most of what I learned was from my parents, books I read on my own and... Black history month events. You are probably well versed in the triumphant and terrible parts of our history, but most kids of all colors are not. I think one of the ways to build positivity not along among Black youth but also other races is to expose them to the contributions of our (and other) cultures. But hey, maybe I just smoked too much weed...

[CosmicTraveler]

I went to school where we could count the white kids... not at all... 'cause they weren't there... ( last I was there anyway... and I was there for quite some time... I hate going to class you see. ) But yeah, for all my time in these schools I found very little actually changing in the black history curriculum. It was always " Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall " And a bit of Malcolm X... I imagine they preferred to leave him out lest we get uppity. >_>

Honestly, it killed my interest in " black history month. " But to be honest, I never made a differentiation between black history and white history. As far as I'm concerned it's all in the past. No matter where it comes from.

[TVSURFER]

No offense whatsoever, but there is only one problem with that. Most schools, particularly majority white schools, don't teach a true version of history. I went to a majority White/Latin high school on the north side of Chicago. Most of what I learned was from my parents, books I read on my own and... Black history month events. You are probably well versed in the triumphant and terrible parts of our history, but most kids of all colors are not. I think one of the ways to build positivity not along among Black youth but also other races is to expose them to the contributions of our (and other) cultures. But hey, maybe I just smoked too much weed...

Shit, it looks like that weed expanded your mind for a basic truth! If anyone understands what 1619 to 1865 means, PM me. We can talk!
Black History month is about me and my descendents of endless days under the yoke: Didn't get a dime for it! You're the second person that has commented on my avatars; the other was in a pm, but newspapers are losing circulation, too! "A seed only fosters in a healthy environment and can grow into a strong tree!" It's my way in keeping of the month they let us have; February! Go figure go with it!

[peggygee]

I went to school where we could count the white kids... not at all... 'cause they weren't there... ( last I was there anyway... and I was there for quite some time... I hate going to class you see. ) But yeah, for all my time in these schools I found very little actually changing in the black history curriculum. It was always " Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall " And a bit of Malcolm X... I imagine they preferred to leave him out lest we get uppity. >_>

Honestly, it killed my interest in " black history month. " But to be honest, I never made a differentiation between black history and white history. As far as I'm concerned it's all in the past. No matter where it comes from.

Moved around quite a bit as a child, but I'm a native New Yorker and attended
a few schools in Crooklyn. I'd have to say that my education and exposure to
Black history was very thorough, including a few Summers spent attending
schools espousing "uhuru sasa", or "freedom now".

Admittedly, I grew up in a time of great civil unrest, and we truly believed
that revolution was imminent. Also my parents and family are very proud and
Black and instilled that into me.

But yes I would concur that much of the information put forth now on Black
history centers around slavery, MLK, and a few other luminaries.

[Sasha]

my opinion personally I dont go to big on black history for only one the month because personally history wasnt made all in one month and its very shady that the only month we celebrate it or even acknowledge it presence..had to be the most shortest month out the whole damn year....2nd these days you never know whats really true everything in your text books is never always what it seems and when i use to attend schoo back in the day most of my history/social studies teachers i use to have were white. and thats no offense to my babes. Anywho 1 of my teachers use to tell me we were aloud to call him Mr. Trevor.. HE WOULD SAY.."Dont believe everything in these history books they change every year and they want you to grow up brain washed to believe all the mess that they want you to learn or believe".. was it ok to say this to a minor growin up in his class i dont know but i never forgot! I Believe we are black history every day... we make it possible to help our next brothers and sisters come up with a better oppertunity every generation..even tho there are many rotten apples lol.But the people before us are no forgotten personally because they live inside us! The strength* the courage* the wisdom* education* whats the funny part is we all have the potential to do big things some mofo's are just lazy and when someone like OBAMA enters the building everyone seem to have a wake up call.. WE ALL ARE BLACK HISTORY "WE DONT NEED TO CELEBRATE IT ONCE A MONTH BECAUSE WERE CREATING HISTORY AS WE SPEAK EVERYDAY ..were just continuing the legacy...AND IM HONORED TO BE A "BLACK" T GIRL aka woman LOOL MUCH LOVE YOU GUYS sorry to hold u lol just some SASHA STROKES INPUT MUCH LOVE!!

[bigdicki]

Shit, it looks like that weed expanded your mind for a basic truth! If anyone understands what 1619 to 1865 means, PM me. We can talk!
Black History month is about me and my descendents of endless days under the yoke: Didn't get a dime for it! You're the second person that has commented on my avatars; the other was in a pm, but newspapers are losing circulation, too! "A seed only fosters in a healthy environment and can grow into a strong tree!" It's my way in keeping of the month they let us have; February! Go figure go with it!

If you count us being shipped into the Caribbean like Puerto Rico and supposedly Florida, then it's 1555 - 1865. But other than that, as Barry White would say, "Sure ya right."

my opinion personally I dont go to big on black history for only one the month because personally history wasnt made all in one month and its very shady that the only month we celebrate it or even acknowledge it presence..had to be the most shortest month out the whole damn year....2nd these days you never know whats really true everything in your text books is never always what it seems and when i use to attend schoo back in the day most of my history/social studies teachers i use to have were white. and thats no offense to my babes. Anywho 1 of my teachers use to tell me we were aloud to call him Mr. Trevor.. HE WOULD SAY.."Dont believe everything in these history books they change every year and they want you to grow up brain washed to believe all the mess that they want you to learn or believe".. was it ok to say this to a minor growin up in his class i dont know but i never forgot! I Believe we are black history every day... we make it possible to help our next brothers and sisters come up with a better oppertunity every generation..even tho there are many rotten apples lol.But the people before us are no forgotten personally because they live inside us! The strength* the courage* the wisdom* education* whats the funny part is we all have the potential to do big things some mofo's are just lazy and when someone like OBAMA enters the building everyone seem to have a wake up call.. WE ALL ARE BLACK HISTORY "WE DONT NEED TO CELEBRATE IT ONCE A MONTH BECAUSE WERE CREATING HISTORY AS WE SPEAK EVERYDAY ..were just continuing the legacy...AND IM HONORED TO BE A "BLACK" T GIRL aka woman LOOL MUCH LOVE YOU GUYS sorry to hold u lol just some SASHA STROKES INPUT MUCH LOVE!!

I agree with what you are saying lovely Sasha, in a perfect world. The good Dr. Carter Woodson, creator of Black (then Negro) History Month (then week) agreed with you too. However he understood that it would be a monumental struggle to get textbooks and curriculums changed so they reflected a true history... one that reflected the accomplishments and travails of Blacks, Latinos, Asians, & Native Americans alongside Europeans. So, he chose to have a period of time to celebrate and explore our history and culture. Today we STILL don't have textbooks that truly reflect our history and contributions to culture. So, the month is for spurring folks to learn more on their own and then encourage curriculums to change. Each of us needs to be a part of that change.

[TVSURFER]

If you count us being shipped into the Caribbean like Puerto Rico and supposedly Florida, then it's 1555 - 1865. But other than that, as Barry White would say, "Sure ya right."



I agree with what you are saying lovely Sasha, in a perfect world. The good Dr. Carter Woodson, creator of Black (then Negro) History Month (then week) agreed with you too. However he understood that it would be a monumental struggle to get textbooks and curriculums changed so they reflected a true history... one that reflected the accomplishments and travails of Blacks, Latinos, Asians, & Native Americans alongside Europeans. So, he chose to have a period of time to celebrate and explore our history and culture. Today we STILL don't have textbooks that truly reflect our history and contributions to culture. So, the month is for spurring folks to learn more on their own and then encourage curriculums to change. Each of us needs to be a part of that change.

You're the big one!