[QUOTE="Overlord93"][QUOTE="theone86"]
First off, I don't know if you're completely in line with his opinion. Part of what I inferred from what he said is that black history really isn't taught the way white history is. I would be all for getting rid of black history month if black history got more exposure in history cla$$es, but it doesn't. What gets taught is that there was this MLK guy who gave a famous speech and ended racism, the end. There is so much of black history that gets completely glossed over and that most Americans are so oblivious to, and that should be what black history is about, ending that. I will agree that it isn't about that, but I don't think that just getting rid of that would make things better in this regard, I think it would make things worse. I agree that black history is American history, but we do not do a good enough job of telling the black side of American history in our schools.
As to ending racism, I don't believe at all that color-blindness is going to end racism and I don't think you can point out a major black figure that would say it would. The problem is not that we view each other differently, because we are different, but rather that we don't take the time to more closely examine those differences. People act as if different is a four letter word, it's not. Yes, we need to realize that overall the differences are small and that we are all the same base material if you will, we are all human beings and race does not create inherent biological differences. What we should not do, though, is to dismiss cultural differences. We are culturally different, and that's not a bad thing. What we need to do is stop approaching cultural differences with such apprehension and learn to embrace them.
theone86
no ones culture is different because of the colour of their skin. Its not african culture month, or foreign culture month, its black history month, as if the history of black people is any different from from anything else.No one is born with a culture, true, but that doesn't stop black culture from being different from mainstream culture. There is a different set of experiences that African-Americans face that shape them differently then white Americans or Asian Americans. That's not to say that there can't be a white person who grows up in black culture or any other combination, but American culture is not homogenous.
The latter statement is completely ridiculous, the history of black people is COMPLETELY different from anything else. They were captured from their native land, shipped to a foreign land, treated like cattle, and then after years of forced slavery set free without any regard to how they were supposed to integrate into their new society without any real means to.
I agree. I simply accept that everyone is subconsciously racist; and by that, I do not mean they see skin color differences as a negative, they just see the difference. People see a black guy and they go "That guy is black" and, usually and fortunately, that is the end of it.
I refuse to live in a color blind world, and I definately think that one's culture should be celebrated. I just think it should be done privately or with those close to you, and having a month dedicated to it is just silly. I agree with Freeman on that single point, but not the rest of his argument (i.e. we should see people as people, not as people of various colors.
Contrary to popular belief, people of various skin colors do in fact have various beliefs, mannerisms, and habits that differ from people not of their own skin color. Its not racist to know and admit this, nor is it racist to act on it...just do not make it a negative or stereotype, or act differently because of it.
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