Black. White.

[Judge Hades]

Oh, you are so enlightening, Weiser.

[Darque]

Isn't White History dominant anyway?  Kids learn white history every single day of the year here in the US.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Please.

[Darque]

The Africans were violently removed from their families and countries and indentured for their lives. That's why they are different to other races.

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Ironically, most people who were captured for slavery were captured by enemy tribes and then sold to the slave traders.

 

There are no innocents in that particular piece of history.

[Judge Hades]

It is pretty much true. When kids learn the exploration and expansion of the United States during the 1800's do the mainstream historical texts cover the Trail of Tears? Do those texts mention Thomas Jefferson telling his Secretary of War to bring down the hatchet against the Native Americans? Do they touch the decimation of the Native American cultures that was instigated by the government? Or about the interment camps that Asian Americans had to endure during World War 2?

 

Of course not. In schools they teach that White America is good and gracious to all and never show the ugly underside of Manifest Destiny.

[Darque]

It is pretty much true. 

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Sorry, no.

 

OR maybe that's how it is in Ohio.

 

But where I'm from, History class started with the babylonians, sumerians and egyptians.

[Judge Hades]

I am talking particularly about how US history is taught and not World History.

 

I thought that much would be obvious.

Edited February 16, 2006 by Judge Hades

[Darque]

I am talking particularly about how US history is taught and not World History.

 

I thought that much would be obvious. 

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Nothing is obvious with you n00blette.

[Judge Hades]

Whatever.

[Darque]

Indeed.

[LoneWolf16]

It is pretty much true.  When kids learn the exploration and expansion of the United States during the 1800's do the mainstream historical texts cover the Trail of Tears?  Do those texts mention Thomas Jefferson telling his Secretary of War to bring down the hatchet against the Native Americans?  Do they touch the decimation of the Native American cultures that was instigated by the government?  Or about the interment camps that Asian Americans had to endure during World War 2?

 

Of course not.  In schools they teach that White America is good and gracious to all and never show the ugly underside of Manifest Destiny.

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My teacher, an excellent one at that, went over all of the aforementioned material. One of my favorite teachers, actually. I haven't had so many interesting discussions in a classroom all my life.

Edited February 16, 2006 by LoneWolf16

[Jedihuh?]

You can't just forget about skin colour, you have to celebrate our differnces its what makes life interesting. I agree that racism has to be delt with but just by "forgetting" or "letting go", no that wont help. I can't quite remember the line but it got something to do with remembering the past so history wont repeat itself? black, white, brown are the race of people, polish, jewish, irish are the culture.

And the teaching of history in america? ask some americans if they know that Canadians ever burned the white house down and see what answer you get.

 

edit: i didn't like how one line sounded

Edited February 16, 2006 by Jedihuh?

[alanschu]

It is pretty much true.  When kids learn the exploration and expansion of the United States during the 1800's do the mainstream historical texts cover the Trail of Tears?  Do those texts mention Thomas Jefferson telling his Secretary of War to bring down the hatchet against the Native Americans?  Do they touch the decimation of the Native American cultures that was instigated by the government?  Or about the interment camps that Asian Americans had to endure during World War 2?

 

Of course not.  In schools they teach that White America is good and gracious to all and never show the ugly underside of Manifest Destiny.

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My school covered that in Canada "

[Weiser_Cain]

Oh, you are so enlightening, Weiser. 

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No. But I am personaly disgusted. So mind your own business.

 

The Africans were violently removed from their families and countries and indentured for their lives. That's why they are different to other races.

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Ironically, most people who were captured for slavery were captured by enemy tribes and then sold to the slave traders.

 

There are no innocents in that particular piece of history.

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How about those captured or the children of those captured or their children or the ones that didn't make the trip or those worked to death in the fields or those killed and or disenfranchised since slavery then jim crow was abolished or the miseducated or just plain uneducated left to fend for themselves in a country that wouldn't give them a fair chance, that was in fact so unfair that there had to be federal laws made just to try and skew the balance back to something resembling fairness?

[metadigital]

The Africans were violently removed from their families and countries and indentured for their lives. That's why they are different to other races.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ironically, most people who were captured for slavery were captured by enemy tribes and then sold to the slave traders.

 

There are no innocents in that particular piece of history.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's talk of a reparation payment by the US government to the African Americans (via the AACongress? Not sure who gets the bucks) In the order of trillions of $US. It wasn't a one-of thing, there were decades (even centuries) of profiteering out of the sale of humans.

 

@Volo: I never suggested that African Americans were the only slaves. What a Volo comment. But the industrial exploitation of them over the centuries makes it a holocaust. In fact Benjamin Zephaniah, an outspoken British author, makes a point of how if a black person complains about slavery they are dismissed as "have a chip on their shoulder", yet the Jewish people make endless films and documentaries and have laws to ensure that THEIR holocaust is remembered in perpetuity, at the expense of, say the 1919 British massacre of Indian women and children.

 

I would suggest that the day is significant for the citizens of the US to come together and deal with the ghosts of the past and forge ahead, together.

[Nartwak]

All of those events were covered in my middle school American history class Hades_One.

[CoM_Solaufein]

The Africans were violently removed from their families and countries and indentured for their lives. That's why they are different to other races.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ironically, most people who were captured for slavery were captured by enemy tribes and then sold to the slave traders.

 

There are no innocents in that particular piece of history.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you very much, another person who knows their history. Their own "people" turned them over to slavery for bartering.

[CoM_Solaufein]

I'm a fan of history but not particularly American history. It

[Judge Hades]

All of those events were covered in my middle school American history class Hades_One.

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Hmmm... Then things must have gone some changes since I was in grade and high school. Mind you that was about a decade and a half ago.

Edited February 16, 2006 by Judge Hades

[~Di]

The Africans were violently removed from their families and countries and indentured for their lives. That's why they are different to other races.

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Not to downplay the horror of the slave trade over the centuries, but frankly the above could be said about a heck of a lot of folks throughout history, including the ancestors of most white Australians. What their decendants then did to the native Aboriginals after their unwilling arrival at the "new world" is yet another exercise in racism.

 

Racism and bigotry is hardly an American institution, please. It's a human institution.

 

Edit: Now that I've finished reading the thread I must give a massive to those who imply that Americans were not taught their own history in school. I certainly was. My children certainly were. Which is more than the children in many parts of the world, including such enlightened places as Japan and places in Europe can say ( I won't specify which countries in Europe, since folks around here are indignantly huffy about the slightest criticism of their own sacred country even as they hurl their daily "ain't America awful" invectives.)

Edited February 16, 2006 by ~Di

[Diamond]

Soviet Union extensivily used slave work (not "officially" of course).

[Hurlshort]

Well, since I teach World History to a bunch of middle-schoolers, I'd like to comment here.

 

1. Education is constantly evolving. The most important thing I teach is not historical facts, but the fact that history is ever changing. Never trust a single source, and alway keep an open mind.

 

2. Black History month was crucial in allowing a teaching majority of white women to reach black students. Bridges need to be built. Teachers today are required to take many classes on cultural diversity, English language learners, and equitable management.

 

3. There is still a long way to go. World History is dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation. I would love to spend more time in West Africa, the Islamic world, China, India, and Japan, but I have a ton to cover in one year. Still, every couple years the textbooks get more interesting and so does my supplemental stuff.

[astr0creep]

Well, since I teach World History to a bunch of middle-schoolers, I'd like to comment here. 

 

1.  Education is constantly evolving.  The most important thing I teach is not historical facts, but the fact that history is ever changing.  Never trust a single source, and alway keep an open mind.

 

2.  Black History month was crucial in allowing a teaching majority of white women to reach black students.  Bridges need to be built.  Teachers today are required to take many classes on cultural diversity, English language learners, and equitable management. 

 

3.  There is still a long way to go.  World History is dominated by the Renaissance and Reformation.  I would love to spend more time in West Africa, the Islamic world, China, India, and Japan, but I have a ton to cover in one year.  Still, every couple years the textbooks get more interesting and so does my supplemental stuff.

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You must be a cool teacher. I mean, with a name like Hurlshot...

[SteveThaiBinh]

Which is more than the children in many parts of the world, including such enlightened places as Japan and places in Europe can say ( I won't specify which countries in Europe, since folks around here are indignantly huffy about the slightest criticism of their own sacred country even as they hurl their daily "ain't America awful" invectives.)

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I can't think of anyone here who gets huffy at the slightest criticism of their country.

 

In the UK, we have taught children very little British history and virtually nothing about the British Empire. Various governments have indicated that they wished more British history were taught so children would feel proud to be British, but they're worried that left-wing teachers will dwell too much on the attrocities of the Empire, so the compromise position is to ignore British history and teach about Nazi Germany instead. The German ambassador even complained about this, I think. But it's morally safe for us - we're not the baddies, in that story at least.

 

Most Japanese schoolchildren do learn about the Rape of Nanking, despite its absence in the official textbooks. In so doing, they learn to be sceptical of official textbooks, which I think is a history lesson well spent.

[Hurlshort]

You must be a cool teacher. I mean, with a name like Hurlshot... 

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Well, it's Mr. Hurlshot for the students

 

It's actually a tricky line between being a popular teacher and an easy teacher. Obviously it's no good to be the latter. Each year I find myself getting less popular but more effective in the classroom. It's still an extremely entertaining job. It just takes patience.

[Craigboy2]

It is pretty much true.  When kids learn the exploration and expansion of the United States during the 1800's do the mainstream historical texts cover the Trail of Tears?  Do those texts mention Thomas Jefferson telling his Secretary of War to bring down the hatchet against the Native Americans?  Do they touch the decimation of the Native American cultures that was instigated by the government?  Or about the interment camps that Asian Americans had to endure during World War 2?

 

Of course not.  In schools they teach that White America is good and gracious to all and never show the ugly underside of Manifest Destiny.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well they actually do.