Black History Month

[Tom 1860]

We do this in our school (5 -16 year old spread - 95% white, with 75% of these families being government assisted and yes we have a a significant issue with racism) every year and this year I have asked that we celebrate all people, all year round...

It seems odd to me that we spend a month each year celebrating this and not all year looking at history correctly. Incidentally, the people facilitating BHM in our school are all middle aged, middle class and white.

Thoughts?

[howard]

The role of Black History in the USA must be completely different than the story in the UK. Does UK Black History Month study include South Asian peoples? Colonialism in general? UK support for the Confederate States of America?

(at least you get 31 days; we only get 28.25) (and you get Bob Marley)

[Tom 1860]

In the past we have done loads of stuff about great black people in history (all lesson/subject areas etc...) and we always do loads about slavery (which I find an odd way to celebrate - unless we are celebrating truly crazy levels of resilience).

We do not look beyond black African people and their history and (again oddly) we don't do anything about ancient Egypt...

We do loads about the civil rights movements and there will be assemblies about Dr King. We will likely do loads about black athletes.

[A_B]

Go outside the box. Do a maya Angelou reading. Study Fred Douglass.

[Tom 1860]

Go outside the box. Do a maya Angelou reading. Study Fred Douglass.

We do a lot about Maya Angelou (the English department love her) and I will certainly research Mr Douglass

[howard]

Today a new branch of the Smithsonian Institution opened, the National Museum of African American History. I've followed the development of this museum over the last four years, and watched the ceremony, so this topic is in the front of my mind this afternoon. Maybe they will have some helpful materials for you (or maybe you'll have to wait until next year for their website to get up to speed.)

https://nmaahc.si.edu

This cracked me up.

[howard]

Oh, and Frederick Douglass is the single greatest Black American in history (except of course Willie Howard Mays.)

[The Sybian]

Oh, and Frederick Douglass is the single greatest Black American in history (except of course Willie Howard Mays.)

Frederick Douglass? I thought Black History Month was to teach us about George Washington Carver and the guy who invented the traffic light.

[Tom 1860]

Oh, and Frederick Douglass is the single greatest Black American in history (except of course Willie Howard Mays.)

Frederick Douglass? I thought Black History Month was to teach us about George Washington Carver and the guy who invented the traffic light.

This is partly my point.

All the teaching staff at school will be asked to put a picture and profile up on their classroom door of a black person relevant to their department. So what happens is that everyone attempts to tie Dr. King/Daley Thompson etc to their department or google 'Famous Black...'

So I suppose, the issue is that 99% of our staff are white and have not been brought up with anyone talking about black history (except slavery and the civil rights movement), so they are not invested and/or knowledgeable and therefore get involved because they have to as opposed to doing it because they are genuinely interested.

Fuck, I have just read what I typed and it is pretty depressing...

[DC47]

Oh, and Frederick Douglass is the single greatest Black American in history (except of course Willie Howard Mays.)

Mays was okay if you're not into modern statistical approaches to blackness. But Arthur Ashe is well ahead in BARP, with Ali close behind.

[howard]

(mr. dick would've used NARP) (I prefer WAW- Wins Above Whitey)

Teachers get to learn too. Here's a topic; the way American blues music was rescued from extinction by young brit musicians in the sixties. One band even named themselves after the signature tune of a great blues legend.

[Tom 1860]

(mr. dick would've used NARP) (I prefer WAW- Wins Above Whitey)

Teachers get to learn too. Here's a topic; the way American blues music was rescued from extinction by young brit musicians in the sixties. One band even named themselves after the signature tune of a great blues legend.

I love the Stones, so that would work...

[howard]

Here's a related tidbit. I heard Brian Eno give a talk once, he said he was exposed as a kid to American pop music from jukeboxes in places frequented by American servicemen, many of them black, stationed in the UK. I'm sure this was a common source for kids born in the post-war years, hearing Chuck Berry, Gene Chandler and the like, as well as the blues players.

[Johnny Carwash]

Oh, and Frederick Douglass is the single greatest Black American in history (except of course Willie Howard Mays.)

I guess it's not my place, but I would have put Douglass on the $20 rather than Tubman.

[howard]

Sure it's your place, you an 'Merican.

Another from the AA History Museum opening

[The Sybian]

Sure it's your place, you an 'Merican.

Another from the AA History Museum opening

What a great picture of our wonderful First Lady, showing genuine compassion for special needs individuals.

[sancarlos]

Say what you will about that dude. At least he hasn't endorsed Trump.

[DC47]

Teachers get to learn too. Here's a topic; the way American blues music was rescued from extinction by young brit musicians in the sixties. One band even named themselves after the signature tune of a great blues legend.

Juke?

[howard]

Say what you will about that dude. At least he hasn't endorsed Trump.

Yeah, but he's gonna try to one-up his daddy. Again.

[Joe K]

Say what you will about that dude. At least he hasn't endorsed Trump.

Yeah, but he's gonna try to one-up his daddy. Again.

It's funny that so many beltway types are trying to use that photo as an icon of "bipartisanship" and "civility," when the actual video shows that it was a fairly half-hearted "hug." Certainly you wouldn't watch the video and think, "look at the great relationship the Bushes and Obamas have!"

[rass]

Say what you will about that dude. At least he hasn't endorsed Drumpf.

Yeah, but he's gonna try to one-up his daddy. Again.

It's funny that so many beltway types are trying to use that photo as an icon of "bipartisanship" and "civility," when the actual video shows that it was a fairly half-hearted "hug." Certainly you wouldn't watch the video and think, "look at the great relationship the Bushes and Obamas have!"

It's all relative and people are desperate.

[Pruitt]

Oh, and Frederick Douglass is the single greatest Black American in history (except of course Willie Howard Mays.)

I guess it's not my place, but I would have put Douglass on the $20 rather than Tubman.

It just never ends with these guys...

Harriet Tubman $20 Bill Is Delayed Until Trump Leaves Office, Mnuchin Says

[A_B]

I saw that and thought...they had a chance to just let ONE thing happen that might be seen as tolerant and progressive. Didn't even have to do anything and would have gotten some credit during the unveiling ceremony. And they decided to do the exact opposite of what they should have done just as a "not on my watch!" to Obama.

[DSafetyGuy]

I saw that and thought...they had a chance to just let ONE thing happen that might be seen as tolerant and progressive. Didn't even have to do anything and would have gotten some credit during the unveiling ceremony. And they decided to do the exact opposite of what they should have done just as a "not on my watch!" to Obama.

It boils down to to play to the base at all times to keep the re-election hopes alive.

[L-Jam3]

Hey, you guys are as surprised as I am, but if you do a search for "Harriet Tubman" on Fox News's website there is no mention of this.