My Reply to Morgan Freeman on Black History Month
The level of ignorance in this country is ridiculous! I like Mr. Freeman as an actor, I really do, but as a person in this interview, I'm pretty dissapointed. Black History Month is based on Negro History Week, created by Dr. Carter G. Woodson.
Negro History Week was created to help Blacks "become constructive forces in the development of their people." It was created to bring balance to a lopsided educational system that taught Black people nothing of their culture in ancient history. Most serious educators know that education has to be culturally relative. When you have students that can make no ties culturally, they fail and/or rebel. The book "The Mis-Education of the Negro" goes into great detail to show exactly why Blacks are in the position they are in socially, educationally, economically and politically. Dr. Woodson makes clear that the greatest form of lynching to take place began in the classroom.
Black History gives US a view of ourselves without the filter of racism woven into the current educational system. It gives us a look into what WE have truly achieved in the areas of Chemistry, Astronomy, Biology, Navigation, Architecture, Philosophy, Government, Mathematics and Religion. It allows us to see OUR true place in the development of the very civilization that others would have us to believe we had no signifigant place in creating at all.
I often ask "educators" what were WE (Blacks) doing at the time of the European Dark Ages? Or, what were WE were doing in Africa before the penning of the Bible? Most have no answer that would instill pride or strengthen the moral and cultural character of a student. The information exists and Black History Month is supposed to be a time when it is thoroughly instilled in our minds through a concentrated effort.
I would have expected Mr. Freeman to say how we need more than a month or that there should be a special class dedicated to Black History. But to say that we don't need one because Whites or Jews don't need one is pretty silly considering our current condition socially, economically, educationally and politically.
Peace
A. Stewart
Narrator, The Mis-Education of the Negro Audiobook by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of Black History Month
This may not be a popular viewpoint, but I get what Mr. Freeman is saying. Our whole history cannot be and possibly should not be relegated to a single month.
He's right about another thing, too...said at about 0:36: Black history is American history. I agree with that in great part.
Negro History Week was created for good reason and very much needed at that time, as was Black History Week, the name change in the 1960s. Later on, I think around 1976, Black History MONTH was inducted. "You're going to relegate my history to a month?"
"I don't want a Black History Month. BLACK history is AMERICAN history." I think what he's more inferring here is that dedicated the shortest month of the year to the race of people who built this country is ridiculous. And I think he sums up the fact that it's not nearly long enough because, "Black history is American history."
He's right about racism, too. It's taught. We don't know to think there's a difference until we're taught that there's is a difference that usually ends up with one of us being inferior.
Kudos to Mr. Freeman for being bold enough to say so.
Blessings...
And I think he DID say a month wasn't long enough, or at least he inferred it.