History Education - Black History Month

[ruby sparks]

Those in power tend to take advantage of their position for their own benefit, be it purse strings or military, regardless of skin colour, religion or ethnicity. It seems to be the human condition.

Very much so. History, as they say, tends to get written by the winners.

 

[ruby sparks]

Things which happen to those of low socioeconomic status aren't normally part of history other than in the very broad picture.

History is about the actions of the powerful and the actions of those that changed the course of society. Those of low status rarely do either.

wow.

How does Loren manage to do it, so consistently? Make one’s jaw drop and one’s brow furrow so regularly I mean. I almost think that if there was a ‘wtf?’ or a ‘say what?’ emoticon, that that might be all I’d need to post as responses to his posts most of the time. It’s all the more puzzling because he’s obviously a decent, intelligent guy. I honestly think he doesn’t know he’s doing it.

 

[DBT]

Things which happen to those of low socioeconomic status aren't normally part of history other than in the very broad picture.

History is about the actions of the powerful and the actions of those that changed the course of society. Those of low status rarely do either.

wow.

How does Loren manage to do it, so consistently? Make one’s jaw drop and one’s brow furrow so regularly I mean. I almost think that if there was a ‘wtf?’ or a ‘say what?’ emoticon, that that might be all I’d need to post as responses to his posts most of the time. It’s all the more puzzling because he’s obviously a decent, intelligent guy. I honestly think he doesn’t know he’s doing it.

I don't know, maybe he meant that those in power are in a position to change the world, manipulate markets, set policies, develop propaganda, start wars...which impacts on ordinary people in ways that are not of their choosing.

 

[ruby sparks]

How does Loren manage to do it, so consistently? Make one’s jaw drop and one’s brow furrow so regularly I mean. I almost think that if there was a ‘wtf?’ or a ‘say what?’ emoticon, that that might be all I’d need to post as responses to his posts most of the time. It’s all the more puzzling because he’s obviously a decent, intelligent guy. I honestly think he doesn’t know he’s doing it.

I don't know, maybe he meant that those in power are in a position to change the world, manipulate markets, set policies, develop propaganda, start wars...which impacts on ordinary people in ways that are not of their choosing.

Possibly but given that it’s Loren....

One doesn’t have to be racist (and I would assume he’s not) to consistently understate or be blind to, or omit, not properly acknowledge or not dwell on, certain important aspects of things. At worst it can easily be a form of apologetics, which is how I read his comment.

For starters, it doesn’t ring true, it’s not what I experienced, and I only did history up to age 16. Even by then, it was a mixture of significant important individuals AND (alongside) the lives of the average person. So if we did Romans for example, there’d be the emperors and so on AND there’d be daily life in Rome.

So in other words, setting aside the potential for apologetics (excusing why facts about black or minority experiences were neglected) I don’t think he was even right.

 

[ruby sparks]

What I mean is, only some sorts of 'ordinary/everyday/lesser life' get left out of history books.

And also, some types of significant person or significant event also either get left out or are not properly acknowledged. Even setting aside minorities, take the contributions of women for example.

 

[rousseau]

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-states-howard-zinn/1117179418

Great book,should be required reading.

That was my textbook for History 102 in my college days. Good times.

Great book if you want to be depressed for a few weeks. More seriously I'm pretty sure I own it and never finished it. Might be worth re-visiting given the library is closed.

 

[ruby sparks]

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-states-howard-zinn/1117179418

Great book,should be required reading.

That was my textbook for History 102 in my college days. Good times.

Great book if you want to be depressed for a few weeks. More seriously I'm pretty sure I own it and never finished it. Might be worth re-visiting given the library is closed.

Maybe more Americans could do with a dose of temporary depression of just the sort that book engenders. Maybe then at least some more of them would do something more to improve things or at least be a bit more supportive (or even just a bit less unsupportive) of those who do.

Of course I say that while only guessing what’s in the book and what’s depressing about it.

 

[rousseau]

Great book if you want to be depressed for a few weeks. More seriously I'm pretty sure I own it and never finished it. Might be worth re-visiting given the library is closed.

Maybe more Americans could do with a dose of temporary depression of just the sort that book engenders. Maybe then at least some more of them would do something more to improve things or at least be a bit more supportive (or even just a bit less unsupportive) of those who do.

Of course I say that while only guessing what’s in the book and what’s depressing about it.

It's a good book and very revealing of American history, but just imagine the diametric opposite of high school history class - where we exclusively focus on every negative and oppressive thing that's happened for centuries, without a glimmer of positivity anywhere.

I didn't mean to demean the book but there were no appropriate emojis on Tapatalk to convey that it was a joke . But I was mostly alluding to the fact that it's a tough read to stomach, like, for instance, watching Schindler's List. You know it's a good movie but you don't exactly enjoy it.

 

[Politesse]

Great book if you want to be depressed for a few weeks. More seriously I'm pretty sure I own it and never finished it. Might be worth re-visiting given the library is closed.

Maybe more Americans could do with a dose of temporary depression of just the sort that book engenders. Maybe then at least some more of them would do something more to improve things or at least be a bit more supportive (or even just a bit less unsupportive) of those who do.

Of course I say that while only guessing what’s in the book and what’s depressing about it.

It's a good book and very revealing of American history, but just imagine the diametric opposite of high school history class - where we exclusively focus on every negative and oppressive thing that's happened for centuries, without a glimmer of positivity anywhere.

I didn't mean to demean the book but there were no appropriate emojis on Tapatalk to convey that it was a joke . But I was mostly alluding to the fact that it's a tough read to stomach, like, for instance, watching Schindler's List. You know it's a good movie but you don't exactly enjoy it.

It was never meant as a standalone, more a consciously dissenting voice aimed at those who already knew the "official line" but had no idea what history looked like or felt like from the other side of the guns.

 

[Torin]

I'm reading a book with some of MLK's speeches and essays. Beautiful prose and ideas.