Just two months late on this one, but it still deserves to be mentioned.
Black History Month angers me. No, not because there isn't a "White History Month," you tools. Here is my thinking. Why take a race that has felt surpressed and marginalized for decades, and set aside a specfic month to honor their accomplishments?! It just reeks of bad planning to me.
So, two years ago I did a little googling just on a whim to see if anyone else felt this way, and came across this absolutely great essay (article? idk its pretty long...) by John H. McWhorter, called Toward a Usable Black History.
If you've read this far, you are at least remotely interested. Spend the next ten or so minutes reading the article, and discuss. I'm curious to see what you guys have to say.
5 comments:
I'm gonna comment read comment...
Coming from a guy that HATES "Prom King and Queen CRAP" this perspective appeals to me.
BUT...
What "official" commemorations, holidays, celebrations, etc. are you in favor of? Do you think Presidents Day is good? What about breast cancer awareness month? Halloween? Easter?
Just wonderin :-)
I agree with much of what he says. He's a moderate.
He's a lil too pro government for me though.
Thanks for that link!
major religous holidays are a different story in my view. I'm even on both sides of the fence with how he views kwanzaa. i'm sure there are people who feel like they are "pretending" on christmas and yom kippur, also, regardless of when the holiday was thought up. lets be honest, jesus didn't say merry christmas on his birthday. some christian scholar/activist did many years later.
the "genuflect, but do not feel" phrase is probably the the most concise way to explain my issue with it. it all just seems so canned and forced upon.
the difference between black history month, in my view, is that it is not primarily focused in religion, or spread nationwide. it is focused on a wide-ranging skin color characterized as "black". that inherently makes it tough to compare to other holidays.
in a perfect world, the "brought to this country in chains" side of the story would be told right along side with the Bronzeville-esque, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, modern day stories. to me, the current set up inherently focuses on the brought in chains side of things. in february i hear about king's speeches and tubman's six-shooter more than anything. not that those aren't good things and all, but we are talking about an entire race here. to say that the pre-civil rights period defined an entire people is insulting to african americans. i like the idea of black history month, just change how it is used.
OK but what about Presidents Day?
MLKJR Day?
Columbus Day?
Independence Day?
President's Day - I get out of school, so I'm ok with that!! No but really, President's Day is a useless holiday. Does anyone SERIOUSLY do anything to "celebrate"?
MLK Jr. Day - I don't see how I could argue that this is any different than President's Day. It seems like instead of giving people street signs, we give them holidays.
Columbus Day - Let's rename it genocide awareness day, then I'm ok with it. ;) Honestly though, this one at least gets a good conversation in history class if nothing else (given you have school that day).
Independence Day - This one I'm OK with, we are celebrating a concrete EVENT in American history. Not a "who" but a "what" and "why." There are actual events for the most part, and I remember what I did last Independence Day.
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