Parents: White Teacher Should Not Teach Black History

[pub crawler]

Ummm, I dunno if I want to post anything else in this thread 'cause I'm afraid Dread might kick me in the balls if I disagree with him on anything.

Dread is usually but in this thread he's pretty much .

Therefore, I believe I will

 

[Dreadsox]

Ummm, I dunno if I want to post anything else in this thread 'cause I'm afraid Dread might kick me in the balls if I disagree with him on anything.

Dread is usually but in this thread he's pretty much .

Therefore, I believe I will

You posted a question and I answered it. If you are not going to post your opinion in this thread that is your choice do not put it on my head. Peace

 

[Angela Harlem]

What a load of bullshit.

 

[pub crawler]

History is central to the debate.

 

[verte76]

History is central to the debate.

Absolutely. After all we are debating the teaching of history. It's true that whites in this society haven't had the experience of being enslaved and marginalized the way the blacks have. I don't think this is any reason why a white "can't" teach black history. That's categorizing all whites into a certain mindset, and that's a different thing altogether. It's grossly unfair.

 

[Dreadsox]

What a load of bullshit.

How so?

 

[Dreadsox]

Absolutely. After all we are debating the teaching of history. It's true that whites in this society haven't had the experience of being enslaved and marginalized the way the blacks have. I don't think this is any reason why a white "can't" teach black history. That's categorizing all whites into a certain mindset, and that's a different thing altogether. It's grossly unfair.

Maybe we would not be having this debate if it were just about teaching math. I do not deny that. I do not think past history justifies the statements that were made about this situation. Maybe I need to be more clear in that.

Good post Verte

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Dread,
My comments weren't specifically about this incident, but rather about the idea that's been raised that "Black people can be as racist as white people" etc.

 

[pub crawler]

Absolutely. After all we are debating the teaching of history. It's true that whites in this society haven't had the experience of being enslaved and marginalized the way the blacks have. I don't think this is any reason why a white "can't" teach black history. That's categorizing all whites into a certain mindset, and that's a different thing altogether. It's grossly unfair.

I doubt that the point of the black teachers, academics and activists commenting on the situation at Oberlin High School was to categorize all whites into a certain mindset. I think they were simply saying that they understand the black experience better than people of other races, and particularly whichever white teacher is being assigned to teach the class in question. (By the way, from my reading of the article, I believe the reassignment of the black teacher is an important part of this story).

I don't feel a shred of guilt over being white, and I understand where the black activists at Oberlin are coming from in their statements.

Yes, Phyllis Yarber Hogan's comments are outrageous IF you take them outside of the context of the history of racial inequality and injustice in America. But to deny that such history is an integral part of this debate makes no sense whatsover.


*edited for typos

 

[Angela Harlem]

How so?

How I feel has already been fairly eloquently stated by others in here already, so I wont rehash or paraphrase. It disturbs me though, when we talk about race and racial issues that degrees and grades of it become an issue. Racism is a destructive and dangerous mindset, regardless of the consequences that any particular group has faced. African American people have suffered as a group of people beyond what many of us would understand, and I do understand the point raised at how an affinity with the culture would be a good thing. When though, it is compared with the ability of a white American to teach history in a fair and just way, it becomes, yes an insult and there lies an implication that there is a lack of faith on white teachers today to be fair and have rid themselves of the prejudices once felt by many. Namely, those who were slave owners or supported the practice in some way. If we reversed this and the article was headed "Black teacher shouldn't teach white history" would it be a different matter? The issues which it involves are all that seperate it, the theory behind such a thought is just as wrong, in my opinion.

 

[80sU2isBest]

I agree, Angela. The "same kind of person" quote really bothered me, also.