Reservations about Black History Month
31 Oct 2003
[778w]
Much as I enjoyed the dramas on Radio 4 and the numerous references on 1Xtra, much as I am uplifted by the idea of schoolchildren taking rightful ownership of history, much as I approve of building the future on a good understanding of the past - still there's a thing I didn't like about Black History Month.
Before we go on, can I just say I might be mistaken? I'm a white middle class man with a university education and blue eyes - part of the demographic that historically oppresses all others. Not only do I not know what it's like to be black, I don't know what it's like to be part of any group at all that is or ever has been oppressed. So maybe my beef with black History Month is an error. If so, and if the manner or substance of my beef are offensive, I apologise. I plead mitigation on grounds of ignorance which I am willing to amend, and deny malice.
So, that beef. Black history as the record of black people in the past is very interesting and worthwhile, but in practice black history seems to set itself up to be history for black people. This tends to exclude black people from the very interesting and valuable history of white people, which is their rightful property. Like most thinking palefaces, I am tremendously proud to be from the same race as Martin Luther King (that's the human race, in case you were wondering). I'm humbled by his achievements, grace and humane qualities, and shocked by the reflection that he was murdered before his fortieth birthday. I can take to heart his idea that liberation for black people is really liberation for everyone; that oppression imprisons the oppressors too.
If I can take Dr King as a role model, why should a black person be discouraged from admiring Edmund Burke or the Duke of Wellington or Alfred the Great? Arguably a black British person has more right to Churchill and Shakesepear as role models than I have to Dr King and Nelson Mandela. Yet the subtext of black history month seems to be that a role model for a black person must also be black.
That's a pernicious fallacy. We really are all the same. Obviously there is a very important sense in which black and white people are different in history: the former didn't enslave the latter on an industrial scale. This makes a difference. But sub specie aeternitatis, skin colour really is trivial, and if we don't adhere to this truth we will never get far from the frame of mind that can reconcile conscience with slavery.
Moreover, restricting one's historical role models to people with the same colour skin makes for an unbalanced diet. Most of the stories told in Black History Month seemed to be stories of dignified resistance to overwhelming force, or triumph despite the odds, or heroic defeat. Those are inspiring themes. But if they are the only stories one tells, they encourage a sense of oneself as a victim. My own feeling (I recognise there are arguments against this independent of the race question) is that it's a good idea to grow up with a few role models that show one how to be powerful.
Black history should make everyone angry that so few black people have had the opportunity to bestride the round world like a colossus. But it would be absurd to pretend that most power in the last five hundred years has not been exercised by white men. I'd be the first to agree that the exercise of power is not the summum bonum of human existence. But if you want examples of quiet dignity you can find them in your own family circle. We turn to history for role models on the grand scale. And nobody should feel excluded from finding them there.
I don't know where my ancestors came from, but I have a vote and a parish and a passport and a residual loyalty to the Queen. I am British. I knew that without looking in the mirror to check the colour of my skin. We all, black, white or sui generis, belong to a country whose institutions were formed by Edmund Burke and the framers of Magna Carta and whose liberties were defended by Nelson and Churchill. This may not be an identity everyone wants. One might very reasonably think Martin Luther King a better role model than Winston Churchill. One might place a higher value on the content of Dr King's character. But one should not feel obliged to ignore Winston Churchill because of the colour of one's skin.
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Brother mine wrote on 23 Jun 2008
"Much as I enjoyed the dramas on Radio 4" I don't know who you are, I stumbled on this thread researching for a blog on another
site. You think like me but Nelson, Churchill et al hard their dark side. Just to let you know you're not alone but be wary.
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RODRICK "BIG EARS" FISCHER wrote on 10 Aug 2007
Much as I enjoyed the dramas on Radio 4 and the numerous references on 1Xtra, much as I am uplifted by the idea of schoolchildren taking rightful ownership of history, much as I approve of building the future on a good understanding of the past - still there's a thing I didn't like about Black History Month.
Dr. Smith wrote on 20 Jul 2007
Current day humans, including the self defined "white, blue-eyed" author above, identify themselves as members of races that are defined by physical characteristics. This selfish perspective is what leads our civilization to division of the human race and feelings of being different, ergo, to fear and hate each other. The group that defines themselves as "white" devised the plan to elevate themselves into an exclusive group where they would benefit and where they would try to eliminate their fear of other groups, such as the blacks, through oppression. This is why Blacks were not taught their own history. Unfortunately, this caused the "black" group to perceive themselves as inferior to whites. This is expressed in today’s culture by imitation of the “white look” since there is the perception that “whiteness” is of more corporate and cultural value. Black history is an attempt to cure this misperception of inferiority. The notion that black history is in some way wrong is, therefore, an obvious ignorant thought.
Blacks Americans still continue to "sit in the back of the bus" and the struggle and conflicts will continue as long as the selfish perceptions that focus on superficial physical characteristics continue and the “content of one’s character” is ignored as well as one’s value on this Earth outside of our civilization’s selfish terms. Although the self-identified "white blue-eyed" author attempted to later define himself as "part of the human race", i.e., tried to ignore the fact that his primary perception refers to his "whiteness", he failed to even understand his own position in the ongoing problem. As long as we have racial divisions we will have fear of each other, poverty, and confrontations.
American History Month can replace Black History Month only when each one of us becomes aware of the divisions and we declassify ourselves according to race. This will only happen when the races mingle to the point where racial definition is no longer possible. If the white race or the black race somehow manages to prevent integration through separation and fear of each other, then the Human Race will not survive. Our future needs us all.
wrote on 25 Jun 2005
Joshua wrote on 10 Nov 2004
Yes, but my point was exactly that a role model shouldn't have to have the same colour of skin as the person for whom he or she is a role model. Dr King and Nelson Mandela (particularly the former) are big role models for me. I'm ashamed not to be more like them - but that means ashamed not to be braver or more truthful, not ashamed of having skin the colour of frog's belly. We'll never be free (whatever colour we are) until we choose our role models by the content of their character!
James wrote on 8 Nov 2004
I believe the reason for black history month (BHM) is because if you are 'black' then if you were to go to school in the UK you would be lead to believe that all the successful people in the world were white, as it is I am struggling to think of a renowned black person from the UK that has not been in sports or music (ok trevor phillips - but not exactly amazing is he?). BHM gives positive role models to young and old people alike and empowers them to achieve and not be assiocated with the sterotypes that other people are happy with. Therefore what I'm saying is: I know all the white role models I need to know and BHM is trying to redress that 'balance' you talk about.
Maureen wrote on 29 Jan 2004
Could it be that in this day and age, we still actually have caucasians who think that Black's were never denied their history in our public schools. As a white American, I became fascinated with the black history that was withheld from all of us out of the ignorance of our race.
A black man opened the first hospital and started a school for medicine
A black man performed the first open-heart surgery.
A black man invented the ironing board, the mouse trap, the umbrella, the street light and the first car!
Maybe a month-long celebration is what we need to CATCH UP!
Shame on us!
Cinattra wrote on 7 Nov 2003
Black history month! We used to only have a week to indulge the whole nation about the Black American past considering it was not being taught properly if at all in American public schools. For most of the US's history anything positive about Black Americans was erased.
Martin Luther King was murdered 35 years ago. Many Americans alive today are old enough to remember the days of white's only signs and of blacks sitting at the back of buses. I am just old enough to remember when "Roots" came on tv back in the 70s, that was a huge deal for Black people.
Black history week and month were started so Black Americans contributions to the building of America would not be forgotten or rewritten. It is not about giving Black role-models to little Black children it is about making Black children see themselves as one day becoming role-models.
I'm Black, but if you ask me Benjamin Franklin is the greatest of all Americans. He is definitely a man who is a role-model for all human beings.