I really do admire Bill Cosby for his rant on how black people don't appreciate their ancestors' efforts to give them the same education as everyone else. The topic of his rant was very different and it focused more on modern black culture in the US, but if he hasn't already found out about this, I'm sure he'd have a shit if he did.
If I recall correctly, one of the arguments against black-only schools in the Brown vs. Board case was that the students in those schools were depressed, had very low self-esteems and underachieved. I suppose I should take into account that those schools back then were grossly underfunded, but I wouldn't be surprised if these theoretical black-only schools turned out to be less-than-adequate, nor would I be surprised if history repeated itself for the quintillionth time.
The problem I have with racism is that it is founded on, and shrouded in, double-standards. White people can't be taken seriously when they call black people racist, nor can they be proud of being white. People say that the whole idea of Black History Month is unfair, but I find that when I study black history (in any month at all) I become more tolerant. I say keep it and put more emphasis on it. Name another race that was enslaved, lynched, segregated, falsely accused of nearly every problem/crime, given the short end of every stick and punished severely for trying to do something about it. Now that I think of it, why is there not a Jewish History Month? The Jews deserve a month, too.
I do realize that we are no longer in that age wherein white people misinterpret Darwinism to declare themselves superior, but back then nobody would have known that only six genes, out of roughly thirty thousand, are directly related to race, despite the eons spent mutating in non-African climates. I think it's fair to say that it doesn't matter, or at least that it shouldn't, but the whole world doesn't care what one person thinks.
Jewish people aren't a race... they're a religious group. But I see your point. However, Canada has a habit of hiding any trace of black history. Although slavery was abolished quickly here, there was still stuff like public beatings etc. Black history isn't in the school curriculum... so they give us a month. Whoopee... lol.
I recall learning about a black city that was demolished for commercial purposes without the consent of its citizens. I cannot remember the name of that city. I think that's as far as Canadian Black History went in school, other than the entire British Empire abolished slavery at the same time, and that it happened before the Americans did, and during that time the American slaves escaped to Canada.
I noticed in the grade ten history textbook that where there was any mention of racism in Canada, it was either blamed on the Americans, or it was stressed that we were ahead of the Americans. Because, you know, there should always be an excuse.
Exactly my point. That's pretty much all we learned. I think it was called something like "Afroville" or "Afrocity" but it had an afro-centric name. Pretty much... sometimes I wonder if American are ahead of us. They're at least willing to admit their mistakes. Once in a while we'll mention how we were mean to the Japanese and Natives. Apart from that... zip lol.
Not only do we not admit our mistakes, we give out a cash settlement and never speak of it again. I'd be surprised if it ever made anyone happy aside from the individuals who fought for it. I heard the woman who fought for the settlement regarding the residential schools was murdered recently.
It's a bit off topic, but I noticed last year that the Black History Month bulletin board outside the office didn't go up until March, and that it wasn't taken down until we came back September.
If I recall correctly, one of the arguments against black-only schools in the Brown vs. Board case was that the students in those schools were depressed, had very low self-esteems and underachieved. I suppose I should take into account that those schools back then were grossly underfunded, but I wouldn't be surprised if these theoretical black-only schools turned out to be less-than-adequate, nor would I be surprised if history repeated itself for the quintillionth time.
The problem I have with racism is that it is founded on, and shrouded in, double-standards. White people can't be taken seriously when they call black people racist, nor can they be proud of being white. People say that the whole idea of Black History Month is unfair, but I find that when I study black history (in any month at all) I become more tolerant. I say keep it and put more emphasis on it. Name another race that was enslaved, lynched, segregated, falsely accused of nearly every problem/crime, given the short end of every stick and punished severely for trying to do something about it. Now that I think of it, why is there not a Jewish History Month? The Jews deserve a month, too.
I do realize that we are no longer in that age wherein white people misinterpret Darwinism to declare themselves superior, but back then nobody would have known that only six genes, out of roughly thirty thousand, are directly related to race, despite the eons spent mutating in non-African climates. I think it's fair to say that it doesn't matter, or at least that it shouldn't, but the whole world doesn't care what one person thinks.
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I noticed in the grade ten history textbook that where there was any mention of racism in Canada, it was either blamed on the Americans, or it was stressed that we were ahead of the Americans. Because, you know, there should always be an excuse.
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Pretty much... sometimes I wonder if American are ahead of us. They're at least willing to admit their mistakes. Once in a while we'll mention how we were mean to the Japanese and Natives. Apart from that... zip lol.
Reply
Not only do we not admit our mistakes, we give out a cash settlement and never speak of it again. I'd be surprised if it ever made anyone happy aside from the individuals who fought for it. I heard the woman who fought for the settlement regarding the residential schools was murdered recently.
It's a bit off topic, but I noticed last year that the Black History Month bulletin board outside the office didn't go up until March, and that it wasn't taken down until we came back September.
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