Should we continue to have Black History Month?

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I'm the one who's racist after a statement like that? :laugh:

:doh:

I think you guys are missing the point. Why do we have black history month in the first place? Your preaching to the converted here... Of course we shouldn't have it, ideally.

That doesn't change the fact that at a time black history wasn't taught in schools. That at one point in time, black history wasn't included in the American History books. 1926 you had "National Negro Week" which was initiated by Carter G Woodson. It didn't turn into a month until 1976.

We don't have White History Month, because white history was never left out of anything. Hence my point about the 12 months of the year.

To me, bringing up the origins of BHM doesn't prove a thing. Who cares why it started? Do you realize how much things have changed since 1926?

The point is, in the year 2006, why is it still necessary to teach a bunch of non-related, historical lessons just because they revolve around black people? Why not fit them into whatever unit or section of history they belong and teach them then?

[Destino]

Yeah. All us whites get so much positive history brought to light. whatever. All you hear about whites and history is we were all once slave owners......or, we all stole land from the indians.....12 months my white ass

Really? You telling me that in HS history you get to go into deatil concerning the trail of tears? The countless agreements made with native americans that were soon broken by early americans hungry for more land? Do you get the real story on the Alamo or just the heroics?

Maybe things have changed but when I hit college the joke was that history in college should be called "everything they didn't have the balls to tell you in HS"

[Mooka]

To me, bringing up the origins of BHM doesn't prove a thing. Who cares why it started? Do you realize how much things have changed since 1926?

The point is, in the year 2006, why is it still necessary to teach a bunch of non-related, historical lessons just because they revolve around black people? Why not fit them into whatever unit or section of history they belong and teach them then?

I just brought it up because of people saying we need White History month.

LIke i said, your preaching to the converted. I completely agree, there should be no need for black history. My point was that at one point there was, but there was never a need for white history month.

[Gibbs = Football God]

:doh: I think Black History Month is absurd! Just like the all of the other things that are for blacks only, like colleges (i know, whites are allowed, and "more than welcome" ) if anyone ever opened a school that was all white there would be a riot but it is ok for a all black school. Or how about the college scholarships that are only for blacks! Thats messed up, again if there were a contest where only a white kid could win the scholarship there would be a riot! It is beyond me how it is ok for one race to do this but not the other!

I do not have a problem with certain races i believe that anyone can be an ***hole no matter what race but when one race is allowed to do stuff because no one wants to say that its wrong, due to the fact that they feel bad for what happend decades ago by people that are dead now is absurd! I would like to see the reaction of people if a tv station came out called white entertainment television (WET) that would cause some ****. What if a group of schools came out with a white band competition? or if a group of rich white guys mad an organization called the (NAAWP) National Association for the Advancment of White People! I can just see the effect of that happening! How about all the white people in the world get together and do a 3 million man march!

None of the above makes sense! It is absurd! :doh: Just like all of the ALL BLACK things!

[Renegade7]

It's whatever with black history month to me. When I lived in DC, feburary was serious business. Report after report after movie after movie. Down here in VA, no one even mentions black history month in school. No banners, no annoucements, nothing. Asked my history teacher about it last year, he said he'd get to it. Never did. It almost seems McDonald's gives more of a damn about black history then the school system around here. So like I said, it's whatever. I'll learn black history on my own time, since no one seems to want to take the time to teach it in school.

[Gibbs = Football God]

I hate this response more than anything!

That is because the majority of American history is white history. The excuse to not have a "White history month" because we learn white history year round is a poor excuse. So, what you are basically saying is that, from March to January we learn NO Black history?

That answer - No!

The reason there is no White history month is because it would be too offensive.

I respect Black history, and I feel it is crucial that our children learn it. But by having "Black history month," all you are doing is preserving a type of segregation. AMERICAN history should be recognized through-out the entire year.

Black history month should be abolished. By singling out a single race, you further both animosity, and segregation.

We can never be equal until we treat each other as equal. By having Black history month, in my opinion, you say the Black race is not important enough to be recognized the entire year.

As a white student, I hated Black history month. Not because of racism, but because I felt as if I were being given an annual pill. When/if we get rid of Black history month, and truely accept Black history as American history, that's when you will see a difference in the way different races view each other. It is hard to teach a child all races are equal when society only allots one month out of twelve for a specific race.

:applause: AMEN!

[rincewind]

:doh: I think Black History Month is absurd! Just like the all of the other things that are for blacks only, like colleges (i know, whites are allowed, and "more than welcome" ) if anyone ever opened a school that was all white there would be a riot but it is ok for a all black school. Or how about the college scholarships that are only for blacks! Thats messed up, again if there were a contest where only a white kid could win the scholarship there would be a riot! It is beyond me how it is ok for one race to do this but not the other!

I do not have a problem with certain races i believe that anyone can be an ***hole no matter what race but when one race is allowed to do stuff because no one wants to say that its wrong, due to the fact that they feel bad for what happend decades ago by people that are dead now is absurd! I would like to see the reaction of people if a tv station came out called white entertainment television (WET) that would cause some ****. What if a group of schools came out with a white band competition? or if a group of rich white guys mad an organization called the (NAAWP) National Association for the Advancment of White People! I can just see the effect of that happening! How about all the white people in the world get together and do a 3 million man march!

None of the above makes sense! It is absurd! :doh: Just like all of the ALL BLACK things!

I want to make a point totally unrelated to the above post. I just thought it was funny that the white tv station would be WET - sounds like adult entertainment.

As for as black vs. white history - i think the problem is with the school system's ciriculum. If there was more honest, even, and fair history taught then there would be no need for black history month in schools. Unfortunately there will always be more taught about white history as our country simply has more white history then black. But we need to teach that black people did play a major role in getting us to where we are today and that white people have not always been the good guy - neither has America.

[LegionOfDoom]

:doh: I think Black History Month is absurd! Just like the all of the other things that are for blacks only, like colleges (i know, whites are allowed, and "more than welcome" ) if anyone ever opened a school that was all white there would be a riot but it is ok for a all black school. Or how about the college scholarships that are only for blacks! Thats messed up, again if there were a contest where only a white kid could win the scholarship there would be a riot! It is beyond me how it is ok for one race to do this but not the other!

I do not have a problem with certain races i believe that anyone can be an ***hole no matter what race but when one race is allowed to do stuff because no one wants to say that its wrong, due to the fact that they feel bad for what happend decades ago by people that are dead now is absurd! I would like to see the reaction of people if a tv station came out called white entertainment television (WET) that would cause some ****. What if a group of schools came out with a white band competition? or if a group of rich white guys mad an organization called the (NAAWP) National Association for the Advancment of White People! I can just see the effect of that happening! How about all the white people in the world get together and do a 3 million man march!

None of the above makes sense! It is absurd! :doh: Just like all of the ALL BLACK things!

You said alot....but I will talk about Black Colleges......they were started becuase Blacks were not allowed to attend other Universities back in the day....and if they were somehow admitted they caught hell on the campus back then.....so now that there is more equality in admissions and the field is somewhat leveled....you just can't go ahead and close these instituitions becuase of that...they are now referred to as HBCU's...these schools have History that date back to 1865....It would be pretty hard to just shut those places down now...but they are clearly needed to serve diverse cultures.

[Mooka]

:doh: I think Black History Month is absurd! Just like the all of the other things that are for blacks only, like colleges (i know, whites are allowed, and "more than welcome" ) if anyone ever opened a school that was all white there would be a riot but it is ok for a all black school. Or how about the college scholarships that are only for blacks! Thats messed up, again if there were a contest where only a white kid could win the scholarship there would be a riot! It is beyond me how it is ok for one race to do this but not the other!

I do not have a problem with certain races i believe that anyone can be an ***hole no matter what race but when one race is allowed to do stuff because no one wants to say that its wrong, due to the fact that they feel bad for what happend decades ago by people that are dead now is absurd! I would like to see the reaction of people if a tv station came out called white entertainment television (WET) that would cause some ****. What if a group of schools came out with a white band competition? or if a group of rich white guys mad an organization called the (NAAWP) National Association for the Advancment of White People! I can just see the effect of that happening! How about all the white people in the world get together and do a 3 million man march!

None of the above makes sense! It is absurd! :doh: Just like all of the ALL BLACK things!

whoa there, settle down buddy.

In a perfect society, your absolutely correct. Remember though that the civil rights movement was not that long ago, which is why we have things like you listed above.

Read Legion's example, it can be used for everything you listed.

The point is, there was never a need to create an all-white college. There was no need for white history month. Theres was never a need for an NAAWP.

Times are much different right now, but it will take more then a few decades for this country to look at itself and say everyone is trully equal, and we don't need anymore black scholarships or black history month.

[Gibbs = Football God]

You said alot....but I will talk about Black Colleges......they were started becuase Blacks were not allowed to attend other Universities back in the day....and if they were somehow admitted they caught hell on the campus back then.....so now that there is more equality in admissions and the field is somewhat leveled....you just can't go ahead and close these instituitions becuase of that...they are now referred to as HBCU's...these schools have History that date back to 1865....It would be pretty hard to just shut those places down now...but they are clearly needed to serve diverse cultures.

I understand why they were made! But when it was wrong for segregation and all white classes they got rid of them and combined the students, I'm not saying it was easy for the blacks back then but that was !BACK THEN! It is over now and no one can blame todays white man, it is wrong to have all black colleges now! (or scholarships or bands or whatever else there is) It sends the wrong message to all races and it shows that there is still a major problem with racism in todays world! I am 25 years old and was raised in Annapolis when I was in 3rd through 6th grade, then I moved to the country down in Shady Side, Churchton area! Two totaly different areas, However I never had a problem with any race but as I grew up I came to find that Blacks in the city had a problem with me cause I am white! I was taught to treat all people and races equal and I still hear it to this day how black people were treated unfairly and what the white man did to the black man was wrong but all I have seen in my years it the black man doing that same thing to the white man!

Can I get an Amen?

[Gibbs = Football God]

whoa there, settle down buddy.

In a perfect society, your absolutely correct. Remember though that the civil rights movement was not that long ago, which is why we have things like you listed above.

Read Legion's example, it can be used for everything you listed.

The point is, there was never a need to create an all-white college. There was no need for white history month. Theres was never a need for an NAAWP.

Times are much different right now, but it will take more then a few decades for this country to look at itself and say everyone is trully equal, and we don't need anymore black scholarships or black history month.

I agree with you on your point! I believe it will take a while but that does not mean that I have to put up with it (well I do) but I dont have to like it! I still think that what I have written needed to be said!

[LegionOfDoom]

I understand why they were made! But when it was wrong for segregation and all white classes they got rid of them and combined the students, I'm not saying it was easy for the blacks back then but that was !BACK THEN! It is over now and no one can blame todays white man, it is wrong to have all black colleges now! (or scholarships or bands or whatever else there is) It sends the wrong message to all races and it shows that there is still a major problem with racism in todays world! I am 25 years old and was raised in Annapolis when I was in 3rd through 6th grade, then I moved to the country down in Shady Side, Churchton area! Two totaly different areas, However I never had a problem with any race but as I grew up I came to find that Blacks in the city had a problem with me cause I am white! I was taught to treat all people and races equal and I still hear it to this day how black people were treated unfairly and what the white man did to the black man was wrong but all I have seen in my years it the black man doing that same thing to the white man!

Can I get an Amen?

Nah buddy....those Black colleges can't just close down....think of it as living History for the World to see and to not make the same mistakes again. These schools are not All Black....they serve the needs of all races it is just the History of the school that just dates back to a time when they were the only option.....

[Gibbs = Football God]

Nah buddy....those Black colleges can't just close down....think of it as living History for the World to see and to not make the same mistakes again. These schools are not All Black....they serve the needs of all races it is just the History of the school that just dates back to a time when they were the only option.....

Yes they do give a good reminder but can anyone tell me the average number of whites and the average number of other races in these schools per semester! Probably under 10%! Maybe one day it will change I agree with Mooka it is not time yet!

[rincewind]

Yes they do give a good reminder but can anyone tell me the average number of whites and the average number of other races in these schools per semester! Probably under 10%! Maybe one day it will change I agree with Mooka it is not time yet!

Fair enough - but show me the numbers for Harvard, Gonzaga, and Georgetown too.

[Gibbs = Football God]

Fair enough - but show me the numbers for Harvard, Gonzaga, and Georgetown too.

Their Their sports programs say it all!

[rincewind]

Their Their sports programs say it all!

Their sports programs say they are color blind when it comes to athletes - athletes that will further the college. I'm talking about the general student body. Really, why would a predominately black school recruit white kids to play basketball? It makes sense the other way around though.

Plus, everytime i see a Gonzaga game, they have a lot of white kids on their team.

[Destino]

:doh: I think Black History Month is absurd! Just like the all of the other things that are for blacks only, like colleges (i know, whites are allowed, and "more than welcome" ) if anyone ever opened a school that was all white there would be a riot but it is ok for a all black school. Or how about the college scholarships that are only for blacks! Thats messed up, again if there were a contest where only a white kid could win the scholarship there would be a riot! It is beyond me how it is ok for one race to do this but not the other!

I do not have a problem with certain races i believe that anyone can be an ***hole no matter what race but when one race is allowed to do stuff because no one wants to say that its wrong, due to the fact that they feel bad for what happend decades ago by people that are dead now is absurd! I would like to see the reaction of people if a tv station came out called white entertainment television (WET) that would cause some ****. What if a group of schools came out with a white band competition? or if a group of rich white guys mad an organization called the (NAAWP) National Association for the Advancment of White People! I can just see the effect of that happening! How about all the white people in the world get together and do a 3 million man march!

None of the above makes sense! It is absurd! :doh: Just like all of the ALL BLACK things!

The only problem is that you are forgetting why and when all those black only things started. It's funny but when people say "why do they have THIS!" they never actually look into why. You can't expect people that had to scramble to support themselves when the government was against them to then suddenly leave behind all they had built because suddenly things changed. All forgotten because the haters changed their minds. Doesn't work that way, cultures grew a certain way and it takes time for that to change.

It's also funny that people think it was sooo long ago that all the bad stuff was going down. Segregation ended in the 60s....not exactly the stone age.

[Gibbs = Football God]

The only problem is that you are forgetting why and when all those black only things started. It's funny but when people say "why do they have THIS!" they never actually look into why. You can't expect people that had to scramble to support themselves when the government was against them to then suddenly leave behind all they had built because suddenly things changed. All forgotten because the haters changed their minds. Doesn't work that way, cultures grew a certain way and it takes time for that to change.

It's also funny that people think it was sooo long ago that all the bad stuff was going down. Segregation ended in the 60s....not exactly the stone age.

You obviously have not been reading this thread! Like I said before

("I understand why they were made! But when it was wrong for segregation and all white classes they got rid of them and combined the students, I'm not saying it was easy for the blacks back then but that was !BACK THEN! It is over now and no one can blame todays white man, it is wrong to have all black colleges now! (or scholarships or bands or whatever else there is) It sends the wrong message to all races and it shows that there is still a major problem with racism in todays world! I am 25 years old and was raised in Annapolis when I was in 3rd through 6th grade, then I moved to the country down in Shady Side, Churchton area! Two totaly different areas, However I never had a problem with any race but as I grew up I came to find that Blacks in the city had a problem with me cause I am white! I was taught to treat all people and races equal and I still hear it to this day how black people were treated unfairly and what the white man did to the black man was wrong but all I have seen in my years it the black man doing that same thing to the white man!

Can I get an Amen?)

I know why they became but why are they still here when they are wrong! When an all white school was wrong they changed it!

[tapstaks2000]

edited-------

[gchwood]

aren't Grambling, Southern and Howard all black still?

[tapstaks2000]

FACT : half of the Historcally black colleges created for blacks are now atleast 50% white

If your definition of an all black college means that most of ppl are black then most colleges in the states should be called All white colleges since most ppl in those colleges are white .

Are you people saying that we should destroy all HISTORICALLY black colleges just because they arent needed any more . :dallasuck

[Gibbs = Football God]

FACT : half of the Historcally black colleges created for blacks are now atleast 50% white

If your definition of an all black college means that most of ppl are black then most colleges in the states should be called All white colleges since most ppl in those colleges are white .

Are you people saying that we should destroy all HISTORICALLY black colleges just because they arent needed any more . :dallasuck

Not what I am trying to say at all! However there are schools that advertise "all Black" That is wrong! There are programs to benifit the black man only and i do believe there is a competition every year for all black shcool bands! That aint right! As other people said earlier, black history is American history and should be mixed in with regular history, it should not be special if a black person made that history because that sends the message that a black mans place in history is more significant or special then the rest of the American history! I do not mean to take anything away from great people like MLK but to seperate his acheivments from the rest of American history is a cause of racial inequality today! His acheivment was great just like many other achievments by the black community have been, however just because the achievment was made by a black person, we should not celibrate it as if it is greater or more special than that of a white mans achievment! I know that back in the day it was very special for MLK to do what he did and again i want to say that I do not want to take any credit away from him or others like him but at the time that our forefathers built this country they went through many of the same obsticals in doing so, so the great achievments of all people should be celebrated the same and not one race this month one race the next! We are Americans and we should celebrate OUR achievments all year long!

[dent19]

I'm all for promoting lesser known history, but does it have to be limited to blacks? Also I'd be all for "real history week: There was no damn cherry tree"

I'm for telling the truth all the time..... Never gonna happen :doh:

If American History told the truth and included the accomplishments of "All"Americans, And American was "Equal"for all Americans then maybe there would be no need for any special mention of any one ethnic groups history.....But that just wouldnt be "American" now would it?

[Thanos]

Its amazing some of the assumptions that have been made in this thread.I will say this.Before we talk about doing away with HBCU's, better do the same thing to Catholic U, BYU,Notre Dame,etc.

That's not going to happen.The bulk of HBCU were created after the Civil War to educate the children of the newly freed slaves.Reconstruction and the emergence of Jim Crow shut out mainstream education for African Americans and the need for them only intensified.

There is a neeed for Black History Month for the simple fact that the accomplishments of African Americans are marginalized in this socity.Outside of sports,entertainment and sadly the nightly news for all the wrong reason s, are African American shown in a given circumstance.

Without BHM, I doubt many of you posting would have heard of:

Joan E. Higginbotham

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys body building (weightlifting), cycling, music, motivational speaking.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago, Illinois, in 1982; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in 1987, a Masters of Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1992, and a Masters in Space Systems from Florida Institute of Technology in 1996.

ORGANIZATIONS: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Links Inc.

AWARDS: NASA Exceptional Service Medal; Keys to the Cities of Cocoa and Rockledge, Florida; Group Achievement Award for STS-26 Return to Flight; Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Certificate of Appreciation for Service; Commendation of Merit for Service to the Department of Defense (DOD) Missions; Presidential Sports Award in bicycling and weight training; Outstanding Woman of the Year Award; Outstanding Performance 1992, 1993, 1995; National Technical Association’s 50 Distinguished Scientists and Engineers; Florida Institute of Technology’s Distinguished Alumni for 1997; Southern Illinois University’s Distinguished Alumni; Essence Magazine’s Top 50 Women of 2004.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Joan Higginbotham began her career in 1987 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, as a Payload Electrical Engineer in the Electrical and Telecommunications Systems Division. Within six months she became the lead for the Orbiter Experiments (OEX) on OV-102, the Space Shuttle Columbia. She later worked on the Shuttle payload bay reconfiguration for all Shuttle missions and conducted electrical compatibility tests for all payloads flown aboard the Shuttle. She was also tasked by KSC management to undertake several special assignments where she served as the Executive Staff Assistant to the Director of Shuttle Operations and Management, led a team of engineers in performing critical analysis for the Space Shuttle flow in support of a simulation model tool, and worked on an interactive display detailing the Space Shuttle processing procedures at Spaceport USA (Kennedy Space Center’s Visitors Center). Higginbotham then served as backup orbiter project engineer for OV-104, Space Shuttle Atlantis, where she participated in the integration of the orbiter docking station (ODS) into the space shuttle used during Shuttle/Mir docking missions. Two years later, she was promoted to lead orbiter project engineer for OV-102, Space Shuttle Columbia. In this position, she held the technical lead government engineering position in the firing room where she supported and managed the integration of vehicle testing and troubleshooting. She actively participated in 53 space shuttle launches during her 9-year tenure at Kennedy Space Center

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/higginbo.html

[Gibbs = Football God]

Its amazing some of the assumptions that have been made in this thread.I will say this.Before we talk about doing away with HBCU's, better do the same thing to Catholic U, BYU,Notre Dame,etc.

That's not going to happen.The bulk of HBCU were created after the Civil War to educate the children of the newly freed slaves.Reconstruction and the emergence of Jim Crow shut out mainstream education for African Americans and the need for them only intensified.

There is a neeed for Black History Month for the simple fact that the accomplishments of African Americans are marginalized in this socity.Outside of sports,entertainment and sadly the nightly news for all the wrong reason s, are African American shown in a given circumstance.

Without BHM, I doubt many of you posting would have heard of:

Joan E. Higginbotham

NASA Astronaut

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Chicago, Illinois. She enjoys body building (weightlifting), cycling, music, motivational speaking.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Chicago, Illinois, in 1982; received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in 1987, a Masters of Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 1992, and a Masters in Space Systems from Florida Institute of Technology in 1996.

ORGANIZATIONS: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Links Inc.

AWARDS: NASA Exceptional Service Medal; Keys to the Cities of Cocoa and Rockledge, Florida; Group Achievement Award for STS-26 Return to Flight; Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Certificate of Appreciation for Service; Commendation of Merit for Service to the Department of Defense (DOD) Missions; Presidential Sports Award in bicycling and weight training; Outstanding Woman of the Year Award; Outstanding Performance 1992, 1993, 1995; National Technical Association’s 50 Distinguished Scientists and Engineers; Florida Institute of Technology’s Distinguished Alumni for 1997; Southern Illinois University’s Distinguished Alumni; Essence Magazine’s Top 50 Women of 2004.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Joan Higginbotham began her career in 1987 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, as a Payload Electrical Engineer in the Electrical and Telecommunications Systems Division. Within six months she became the lead for the Orbiter Experiments (OEX) on OV-102, the Space Shuttle Columbia. She later worked on the Shuttle payload bay reconfiguration for all Shuttle missions and conducted electrical compatibility tests for all payloads flown aboard the Shuttle. She was also tasked by KSC management to undertake several special assignments where she served as the Executive Staff Assistant to the Director of Shuttle Operations and Management, led a team of engineers in performing critical analysis for the Space Shuttle flow in support of a simulation model tool, and worked on an interactive display detailing the Space Shuttle processing procedures at Spaceport USA (Kennedy Space Center’s Visitors Center). Higginbotham then served as backup orbiter project engineer for OV-104, Space Shuttle Atlantis, where she participated in the integration of the orbiter docking station (ODS) into the space shuttle used during Shuttle/Mir docking missions. Two years later, she was promoted to lead orbiter project engineer for OV-102, Space Shuttle Columbia. In this position, she held the technical lead government engineering position in the firing room where she supported and managed the integration of vehicle testing and troubleshooting. She actively participated in 53 space shuttle launches during her 9-year tenure at Kennedy Space Center

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/higginbo.html

Can you name 5 white Astronauts?

Didn't think so!

Every Astronaut has done special stuff but not all of them are celebrated, infact most of them either get 15 min of fame or none at all! Now you think that because this lady is a Black Astronaut she deserves special celebration! Lets just drop everything durring BHM and bow down to every special achievment by a black person! Then in May lets drop everything and celebrate all acheivments by white people!

Absurd!