American History in Black and White

[Josie]

Just finished this. Wow. What an eye-opener. The history of black Americans in this country isn't taught properly in schools. This book needs to be required reading of all high schoolers. Too many times it just the atrocities against African Americans ("by those evil right-wingers", college professors would say) that are taught. What about the early African Americans who fought in the American Revolution? Or the first black Americans in Congress?

Why was I always under the impression that it was Republicans that were against civil rights.......?

 

[Josie]

Just wanted to edit....

I'm not saying the atrocities should be down-played or not taught at all. I'm saying that shouldn't be the ONLY thing taught about the American Revolution period or the Civil War.

 

[GayLibertarian]

Mellie,

I have been studying African-American history ... and its been marginalized by the left for years. They refuse to talk about the story of U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) during the war who fought with bravery and elan against the Confederacy and you barely hear anything about the *BEGINNING* of the Civil Rights movement in most textbooks. I am discovering some *incredible* poetry of Essex Hemphill (who died of AIDS In 1994) who was marginalized by the white, gay, liberal community.

 

[Johnny]

There were also thousands of Black southerners that fought for the Confederacy. That's never taught in school.

 

[monomything]

Interesting fiction on the political "game" of race relations can be seen in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Political manipulation is rampant, and individuals get duped by lies and half truths and willful ignorance on all sides.

 

[Your Star]

Just finished this. Wow. What an eye-opener. The history of black Americans in this country isn't taught properly in schools. This book needs to be required reading of all high schoolers. Too many times it just the atrocities against African Americans ("by those evil right-wingers", college professors would say) that are taught. What about the early African Americans who fought in the American Revolution? Or the first black Americans in Congress?

Why was I always under the impression that it was Republicans that were against civil rights.......?

I learned about all those things in school, and my teachers never said it was the "evil republicans" :shrug:

Also, if you're looking for another good read, I would suggest "Lies my Teacher told me:Everything Your American History Textbook got wrong" It's quite fascinating.

 

[Josie]

I've read it, YourStar.

 

[soccerboy22]

I've read it, YourStar.

So you are a teacher was stuff in the book stuff you taught wrong or do you not teach history?

 

[Fiddytree]

Well, frankly, a "proper" (however one would actually define this) narrative would take far too long, with far too many intricacies, and would be most difficult to explain to adolescents who still have a fairly binary (I thought using the words 'black and white' would have been groan-worthy pun, so...) concept of morality with History. Any professor would have difficulties doing this, so naturally, we have to select what we teach and how. We should move in the direction of showing many of the complexities of the time, as well as some of the "unknown"-known accomplishments of African Americans in the Americas, but I caution with some of the rhetoric sometimes involved. In reality, though, I do not know if the author really is making any groundbreaking work, as the 1960s and 1970s were the revolutionary eras for African American history during our lifetimes.

The problem I have with "eye-opening" history texts (especially ones marketed as such), is that it tends to move the debate disproportionately in one direction or another, seeking shock value rather than careful deliberation. Their importance might stem from somehow giving legitimacy towards making a more carefully deliberated argument that might in some small way agree with the more.....vocal of texts. In academia it is incredibly fashionable to wedge oneself in between one author or another in order to make your mark in the field. It gets incredibly worse when it comes to the competitiveness of the popular history realm...seeking to enlighten the layman with tactics that are meant to induce a level of excitement and drama not present in other texts (even though, I would argue that is to be had in professional historians' works if one simply allows the sophistication of the work to do that magic).