Black History Course: Prerequisite for Graduation

Azalee Turner — azat31(at)yahoo.com

No ethnic group in America has endured the indignities of slavery, segregation and discrimination as has Blacks. America owes it's prosperity to original Black slave labor. And many inventions that helped propel the industrial revolution were from the minds and hands of slaves. The slave holders took credit for anything that slaves invented. This extended to white employers also taking credit for anything black employees invented after the end of legalized slavery.

Textbook publishers should spend the time and money to research original historical documents instead of just re-copying from the untruths in preceding publications that have perpetuated lies about both white and black contributions to world and American society. Without the truth about African history, world and American history will continue to be incomplete and partially fabricated.

We need to learn the truth about our history to help rid our nation of rampart racism. The real truth about African and Black history is missing from mainstream textbooks used to teach American history. And it is missing from the educational background of most classroom teachers who instruct our nation's children. The educational system has hardly prepared these teachers to deal effectively with children about whose culture and contributions they have little knowledge or respect .

Yes, there are many cultures in our society, so why are we allowing history textbooks that are written from a purely euro centric point of view to be used to effectively fuel racism in America's school systems?!!!

Officials in the Philadelphia school district have taken a very brave and right step towards correcting a long overdue wrong when they decided to make a course in African and African American history a requirement for graduation. They are to be commended and hopefully imitated by other school districts. Actually, this one is for the children!!!

One parent protested the action of the Philadelphia School District for not considering other cultures. What we all must admit is that most other cultures, ( Polish, Italian, German, etc. ) would be included in mainstream American history books because they are European cultures. Also, past and current history textbooks emphasize slavery as Black history. Actually, slavery should be considered euro centric, or as an important part of European historical expansion and unjust invasion of sovereign nations of people of color.

The history of a people is whatever they make it to be. Europeans made African slavery to be, so slavery is not black history, but white history. As a nation, we are still dealing with the devastating effects of that part of our history. Courses are needed to help lessen this effect on the psychic of the nation.

Azalee Turner

Seattle, WA

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