March 2017 Opinion Archives
An Editorial
The Lack of Black History in Classrooms
By: Zeniya Cooley
I know I am not the only person who wonders why historical facts of African-Americans are hastily discussed during the duration of a single month. I know I am not the only person who questions why we, the students, know nothing of what happened before Africans were abducted, enchained, and forced along the Atlantic Ocean. I know I am not the only person who is disappointed that the only events we learn in history related to black people are slavery, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. I didn’t begin thinking this only because I’ve been reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I’ve thought about it since elementary school, and I know there are others who’ve thought the same.
The man who approached the idea of having black history taught over a brief length of time was Carter G. Woodson, whose parents were former slaves and who graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. He proposed in 1926 that the second week of February be “Negro History Week,” and that came to be. Of course, now the week of African-American history has transformed into a month. I believe that month is still insufficient. Does it make sense that we learn about Caucasian history all school year and only receive “Did you know” facts regarding black people during a month that happens to be the shortest of the year? I want students to learn about black history all year because it is American history and should be treated as such.
We’re not taught that before blacks took whippings and worked plantations, they had powerful empires in Africa - like the Songhai Empire. We’re not taught when learning about the Boston Massacre that the first person killed was actually a black man - Crispus Attucks. In English classes when discussing pieces from the 1920s, do we have a subcategory dedicated to analyzing and interpreting literature from the Harlem Renaissance? At cosmetology schools, do they study what made Madam C.J. Walker’s hair products successful or beneficial? In journalism programs, is it mentioned that Peter William, Jr. founded the first black newspaper, Freedom’s Journal? There are so many opportunities for African-American history to be taught throughout the year, yet that history is disregarded.
I do hope improvements will be made regarding the teaching of black history. The world is made up of diverse people, so shouldn’t our history lessons be diverse as well? Our history should be taught year-round and shouldn’t only include the three aforementioned events; also, slavery shouldn’t be the first thing we learn about the race. Black history, and the other minority groups’ histories, shouldn’t be overlooked; we are just as important.
-March 31, 2017
I know I am not the only person who wonders why historical facts of African-Americans are hastily discussed during the duration of a single month. I know I am not the only person who questions why we, the students, know nothing of what happened before Africans were abducted, enchained, and forced along the Atlantic Ocean. I know I am not the only person who is disappointed that the only events we learn in history related to black people are slavery, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. I didn’t begin thinking this only because I’ve been reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I’ve thought about it since elementary school, and I know there are others who’ve thought the same.
The man who approached the idea of having black history taught over a brief length of time was Carter G. Woodson, whose parents were former slaves and who graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. He proposed in 1926 that the second week of February be “Negro History Week,” and that came to be. Of course, now the week of African-American history has transformed into a month. I believe that month is still insufficient. Does it make sense that we learn about Caucasian history all school year and only receive “Did you know” facts regarding black people during a month that happens to be the shortest of the year? I want students to learn about black history all year because it is American history and should be treated as such.
We’re not taught that before blacks took whippings and worked plantations, they had powerful empires in Africa - like the Songhai Empire. We’re not taught when learning about the Boston Massacre that the first person killed was actually a black man - Crispus Attucks. In English classes when discussing pieces from the 1920s, do we have a subcategory dedicated to analyzing and interpreting literature from the Harlem Renaissance? At cosmetology schools, do they study what made Madam C.J. Walker’s hair products successful or beneficial? In journalism programs, is it mentioned that Peter William, Jr. founded the first black newspaper, Freedom’s Journal? There are so many opportunities for African-American history to be taught throughout the year, yet that history is disregarded.
I do hope improvements will be made regarding the teaching of black history. The world is made up of diverse people, so shouldn’t our history lessons be diverse as well? Our history should be taught year-round and shouldn’t only include the three aforementioned events; also, slavery shouldn’t be the first thing we learn about the race. Black history, and the other minority groups’ histories, shouldn’t be overlooked; we are just as important.
-March 31, 2017