Lilith,

While there have been, on occasion, subjects on which we may possibly hold different opinions, the subject of “Black History Month” (February I believe it is) would seem to be one on which I assume I am in agreement with you.

In all sincerity, what is up with that?

Selecting a particular month for “Black” or “African American” history month – how can the allusion to segregation, and it’s attendant ills, be possibly overlooked? How, in this day and age could this have happened, or be institutionalized? When the children were still here, during the month of February the local television stations would dutifully trot out their 20 second sound bite children essays about “African American Heroes”, or saints, athletes, politicians, etc. etc. etc.

I really don’t know the history about this, if you’ll excuse me, absurdity, but who could possibly argue with your point that it can not be contained to one month a year? The whole approach seems to be a reversion to some bizarre Jim Crow esthetics. I will admit to having little involvement in public education systems, but I would have thought that the history African American experience would have been fully integrated into the academic curriculum by the 21st century.

Sorry for the rant, I don’t usually go off like this, but I do have your attention (for one reason or another), and you are a teacher (who I’m assuming has some information about this), and it is a subject (Black History Month) I’ve always thought should be as Mr. Freeman, and no doubt many, many others, consider as “American” as G.W. & the Cherry Tree or F.D.R & the charge up San Juan Hill.

It may be that the details are dull, if not actually devilish, but I’d like to learn some about this, and your post above seemed as good an excuse as I’ll ever get to ask these questions.

__________________
Eudaimonia