Is it wrong to explain the dark side of black history? - Page 4 - AfroChat - African American

MadameX · June 1st, 2008, 02:09 AM

Come correct to a sista when you're a able to comprehend the depths and wisdom of the late great Brotha Curtis. Otherwise, meditate and hold your tongue. Peace.

sumayyah · June 3rd, 2008, 01:36 PM

I don't think it's wrong to teach the "dark side." I keep hearing, from Black people, how they hope they children NEVER learn these things because they have no place in today's society, that it's "past" and should stay "buried." There was teacher in an elementary school up here (Michigan) who, when questioned about teaching her students about Malcolm X, said "I hope they NEVER learn about Malcolm X; Malcolm X was a thug."

I just finished reading Randall Robinson's "Quitting America." In it, he details an essay his daughter wrote for school, and she mentioned (as helping Black people) Fredrick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, and Nat Turner. Her teacher responded that Br. Garvey and Br. Turner didn't help Black people, they just "caused trouble."

We NEED to know these things, We NEED to understand what happened to our people. This can no longer be brushed under the rug, and treated like an afterthought or some long forgotten, irrelevant bastard child. My only question is how young is too young? I've got a 4 year old starting kindergarten in September, and I hate thinking that his first year of "real" school will consist of Douglass, Tubman, Parks, and King, and then just taper off.. or worse, start in on athletes and singers rather than freedom fighters. For once, I'd like to see The Black Panther Party covered, and the slave revolts, and the history of Haiti, just to name a few.

amd1588 · June 4th, 2008, 11:05 AM

^^^ Neither Marcus Garvey nor Nat Turner helped Black people, At ALL> Unless you count Marcus Garvey squandering hundreds of thousands of Black folk hard earned money. And he definitely did not leave a lasting impact on the black literary canon nor scholarship.

June 3rd, 2008, 01:36 PM	#32 (permalink)
sumayyah Afro Resident Emerging Voice Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Michigan Gender: Posts: 389 Thanks: 21 Thanked 13 Times in 11 Posts Rep Power: 15 Credits: 2,361	I don't think it's wrong to teach the "dark side." I keep hearing, from Black people, how they hope they children NEVER learn these things because they have no place in today's society, that it's "past" and should stay "buried." There was teacher in an elementary school up here (Michigan) who, when questioned about teaching her students about Malcolm X, said "I hope they NEVER learn about Malcolm X; Malcolm X was a thug." I just finished reading Randall Robinson's "Quitting America." In it, he details an essay his daughter wrote for school, and she mentioned (as helping Black people) Fredrick Douglass, Marcus Garvey, and Nat Turner. Her teacher responded that Br. Garvey and Br. Turner didn't help Black people, they just "caused trouble." We NEED to know these things, We NEED to understand what happened to our people. This can no longer be brushed under the rug, and treated like an afterthought or some long forgotten, irrelevant bastard child. My only question is how young is too young? I've got a 4 year old starting kindergarten in September, and I hate thinking that his first year of "real" school will consist of Douglass, Tubman, Parks, and King, and then just taper off.. or worse, start in on athletes and singers rather than freedom fighters. For once, I'd like to see The Black Panther Party covered, and the slave revolts, and the history of Haiti, just to name a few. __________________ The Man is the Head, but the Woman is the Backbone.

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June 1st, 2008, 02:09 AM	#31 (permalink)
MadameX Afro Resident Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Center Of The Universe Gender: Posts: 4,486 Thanks: 838 Thanked 250 Times in 213 Posts Rep Power: 56 Credits: 20,556	Come correct to a sista when you're a able to comprehend the depths and wisdom of the late great Brotha Curtis. Otherwise, meditate and hold your tongue. Peace.

June 4th, 2008, 11:05 AM	#33 (permalink)
amd1588 Afro Resident Occasional 2Cents Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Atlanta Gender: Posts: 48 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Rep Power: 0 Credits: 269	^^^ Neither Marcus Garvey nor Nat Turner helped Black people, At ALL> Unless you count Marcus Garvey squandering hundreds of thousands of Black folk hard earned money. And he definitely did not leave a lasting impact on the black literary canon nor scholarship.