Black History Month is Racist

[O'nus]

This is a commonly debated topic. Let's try it out, shall we? Black History month gets a month to recognize the history of blacks. Does this mean other ethnicities are not of worthy recognition? What of the Chinese? Natives? Mexicans? Does the black race endorse the idea that they have suffered "more" than any other race? Is black history month truly just a month of racial edification? Why is there not just an "American History" month with emphasis on certain topics? Why cannot history encompass all ethnicities? I am not entirely sure how to feel on this topic.. but let us try to steer away from competing over ones martyrdom over others. Now you will likely have a very strong opinion on this, depending on who you are. February spawns lot's of racial discussion, it would seem. What do you think...? ~

[Techno]

Everybody knows May is Mexican History Month. Personally I really don't care. But don't flaunt your race with me, even if it's the same as mine. We're all still humans.

[De-lousedInTheComatorium]

Black History Month began in America and is contained within America. It is based off of the history between whites and black and is pretty much a way of the Black History Month supporters apologizing to the blacks on behalf of the ones who oppressed them and acknowledging their importance? I don't know, I just made that up.

[drewmandan]

We have it in Canada too.

[O'nus]

Black History Month began in America and is contained within America. It is based off of the history between whites and black and is pretty much a way of the Black History Month supporters apologizing to the blacks on behalf of the ones who oppressed them and acknowledging their importance? I don't know, I just made that up. I would personally find a "Woman's History Month" a much more logical and reasonable recognition month than a specific race. Women have dealt with a lot more shit than any specific race, for obvious reasons. Only until the past 100 years do they reach a reasonable stance of equality still to develop. Furthermore, the Chinese had a lot of shit to deal with in America too. Oh, and let us not forget the Native slaves too. We have it in Canada too. Yeah, another thing to baffle me in the reasoning for this month.. ~

[Techno]

I thought this month was supposed to be about love, not race.

[O'nus]

I thought this month was supposed to be about love, not race. Love for blacks, fool. :p ~

[Techno]

The epitome of February.

[De-lousedInTheComatorium]

We have it in Canada too. Then it officially makes no sense. Not that it really ever did to begin with, I guess.

[DeathCell]

I would personally find a "Woman's History Month" a much more logical and reasonable recognition month than a specific race. Women have dealt with a lot more shit than any specific race, for obvious reasons. Only until the past 100 years do they reach a reasonable stance of equality still to develop. Furthermore, the Chinese had a lot of shit to deal with in America too. Oh, and let us not forget the Native slaves too. Yeah, another thing to baffle me in the reasoning for this month.. ~ They should spend a month celebrating everything, Native American History month for one...

[O'nus]

They should spend a month celebrating everything, Native American History month for one... Well, there's only 12 months and how many ethnicities..? ~

[Techno]

Well, there's only 12 months and how many ethnicities..? ~ When will the Samoans get their turn?

[O'nus]

What about; Aboriginal, Inuit, Metis, North American Indian, Arab/West Asian, Armenian, Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Moroccan, African, Haitian, Jamaican, Somali, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, South Asian, South East, White, Caucasian? ~

[Techno]

You forgot Jewish.

[Carôusoul]

I foresee a storm. In this thread.

[Sandform]

These are all the things for all the months. http://www.quamada.com/months.html March is women's history month. February is not only black history month but also Native American Heritage month (I assume that is restricted to America) February is also national "Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month." lol. I don't see a problem with elevating black history to the same status as "Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket." These things are trivial really, and the amount of coverage on the topic will be equal to the amount the people covering it care about it. In short. The more people care about it, the more there will be influence of it, but the less people care, the less influence there will be. Also Dominican Heritage Month (Jan 26 through Feb 25) February Native American Heritage Month May Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month September Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrated from September 15-October 15. November National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month If you are going to argue against something it should really be about how big of a deal people make about it.

[slash112]

to be honest, i think everything bad should be forgoten, because everyone should just get over it, because it has been resolved, and everyone knows that all races are still all humans, just like all breeds of dogs are all still dogs. although it shouldnt be totally forgotten, because it was pretty terrible, but there shouldnt be such a big deal about it, i mean come on, a minutes silence should do it, and thats it. we should all just get on with our lives and stop moaning about things that dont happen anymore. but, yea i suppose black history month being on its own would be kinda racist in the way onus had described.

[O'nus]

If you are going to argue against something it should really be about how big of a deal people make about it. I think this is the real point here. Good job, Sandform. Personally, I do my best to edify women before others. But now there is a bias to ask what people think about the glorification of these recognition dates.. ~

[Sandform]

I think this is the real point here. Good job, Sandform. Personally, I do my best to edify women before others. But now there is a bias to ask what people think about the glorification of these recognition dates.. ~ I think what interests you and what is important to you is a personal matter. I don't care about women's history more than other male history, or race history over other race history. In fact I loathe all history. I still want to know about it, but I don't find it terribly interesting or feel that it has personal relevance to me (though I suppose some things should feel that way for me that do not) but it is there and has an impact on the present. For as long as people want to make a big deal out of black history month, I will be fine with that. And should they wish to make a big deal out of Spanish history month, I'm fine with that. Though I do find these distinctions trivial on most, though not all, points. At the end of the day black history month gives black people a reason to come together and celebrate their existence. It isn't filled with lies, or meant to hurt anyone (though that one black leader was freaking nuts) and I find no reason to assume that it is racist to be personally attached to a specific race. I do find one fault though. I find black history month to be considered fairly synonymous with being something of a civil rights month. I think there is a distinction between the two that some people, specifically some black people (though I'm not saying all or a majority) do not make. For example, MLK day is considered a holiday automatically in schools with a larger black student body. And not considered so automatically in white majority schools. MLK to me is about his beliefs, not about skin color. It shouldn't be up to the color of people's skin what they take days off for. It should be up to something similar to a vote system on days that are considered capable of being significant. The belief in equality and fair treatment for all human beings is something I would consider significant and if anything is worth taking a day off to celebrate and honor it is those beliefs. I certainly don't find black history month to be significant to me, but it is to others and I don't think those who care about that specific culture should be considered racist. In the past I used to hate black history month...now I just don't care. I think black history month is probably a large deal in America because it is so closely related with civil rights here. It makes people think that by celebrating black history you are celebrating equality and diversity. It makes people completely skip celebrating equality and diversity because of this.

[Universal Mind]

Black history month is February, the shortest month of the year. What an insult. The whole thing is really condescending, I think. If I were black, I would not want to hear, "Hey, your skin color makes you special. Did you know that we're better than you you're special? Here's a month dedicated to YOU PEOPLE." That is what black history month is. I would rather hear, "Hey, your race matters as much to me as your eye color does. Screw race. You are who you alone are, but we're all people together." Better yet, I would rather hear nothing. The more people are divided up based on skin color, even for what are supposed to be positive reasons, the more perception of the distinction lives on and therefore the more racism lives on. Just imagine the same thing being done with eye color. It would egg on common concern with eye color distinctions. People would start judging people on some level by what eye color group they belong to. It would become a signficant issue and cause division.

[justme]

Geez I don't think black history month is that big a deal... I would be more insulted by Martin Luther King Day, why doesn't Fredrick Douglas get a day... Of course to make it a black history day and have a black history month seems a but repeatitive... it's not just about blacks u know.... its about blacks and white finally getting along (at least decently) Will Smith might have not been the big topless star that he is without earlier black activists. I'm sure we would all be a lot less happy without Will Smith

[Sandform]

I don't think that is an accurate comparison. Perhaps in the future when most people are born into diversified homes it would be a fair comparison. At the moment, however, that isn't the case. Most people don't have a long lineage of people who had only one type of eye color. There also isn't a culture associated with eye color. Anyone can celebrate black history month. There is no reason why it need be divisive. Geez I don't think black history month is that big a deal... I would be more insulted by Martin Luther King Day, why doesn't Fredrick Douglas get a day... I think MLK is given a day and more cared about because people consider him some kind of martyr.

[Universal Mind]

I don't think that is an accurate comparison. Perhaps in the future when most people are born into diversified homes it would be a fair comparison. At the moment, however, that isn't the case. Most people don't have a long lineage of people who had only one type of eye color. Anyone can celebrate black history month. There is no reason why it need be divisive. I don't think the family lineage factor causes the distinction highlight to not be a divisive factor. We need to be concentrating on how we are all the same, not how we are in separate categories.

[Sandform]

I don't think the family lineage factor causes the distinction highlight to not be a divisive factor. We need to be concentrating on how we are all the same, not how we are in separate categories. But we aren't all the same. We all come from different places. We all have different histories. The culture many black people are a part of right now comes from their past culture, specifically the culture that is tied to people who are black. Genetics aren't the only thing associated with being black, there is a whole culture associated with being black and that culture affects many of the current black people in our society. It isn't necessary to focus on how we are all the same to prove that we are all the same. We could easily focus in on how we are all different, and prove that the most common thing shared by all people is how everyone has a different culture in which they come from. Just because you accept where you come from and embrace it rather than shove it way doesn't mean you have to shove away a future in which cultures merge.

[Xox]

Personally, I don't really care. But if I sit here and over-analyze it, it seems pretty pointless. It really comes down to people celebrating equality, diversity, blah blah, and that's great. It is pretty distinct in America, and made a big deal out of. (At least where I am) I really don't see the point of "celebrating a race and all the wonderful things they have done." (Because that's basically what people do here.) Imagine doing the same exact thing, only with White people. I don't think that would be recieved well. -shrug- This is completely unrelated, but it reminds me of those scholarships made especially for Black/Hispanic/Asian/whatever kids. Now THAT is freaking pointless and unfair. -_- But, it's a completely different argument I suppose.