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j1miller
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 Posted: 12/18/05 - 12:02 Post subject: Morgan Freeman...discuss
Please discuss the following article.
I'm just glad that someone had the ballz to step forward and say what has been in my mind for ages.
| Quote: |
Updated: 5:44 p.m. ET Dec. 15, 2005
NEW YORK - Morgan Freeman says the concept of a month dedicated to black history is "ridiculous."
"You're going to relegate my history to a month?" the 68-year-old actor says in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" to air Sunday (7 p.m. EST). "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."
Black History Month has roots in historian Carter G. Woodson's Negro History Week, which he designated in 1926 as the second week in February to mark the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
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Woodson said he hoped the week could one day be eliminated — when black history would become fundamental to American history.
Freeman notes there is no "white history month," and says the only way to get rid of racism is to "stop talking about it."
The actor says he believes the labels "black" and "white" are an obstacle to beating racism.
"I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man," Freeman says.
Freeman received Oscar nominations for his roles in 1987's "Street Smart," 1989's "Driving Miss Daisy" and 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption." He finally won earlier this year for "Million Dollar Baby."
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Posted: 12/18/05 - 12:57 Post subject:
I agree to a certain extent--the more we play the victim about perceived injustices, the more the whole battle goes around and around.
We all have something others don't like whether it be gender, race, religion, status: we need to grow a thicker skin.
But, outright "isms" like saying the Holocaust never happened? That is definitely wrong!
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Gogirlgo
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Posted: 12/18/05 - 14:00 Post subject:
I think the terms "black" and "white" can't be anything but polarizing. "Light" and "dark" at least remind people we're all on the same continuum.
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Ms. Jenn
Fresh, Hot & Wild
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Posted: 12/18/05 - 19:17 Post subject:
We're all one race as far as I'm concerned, the human race. Some of us are more disgusting than others, but that's a personality/emotional problem, not a skin color problem.
The sentiment behind Black History Month was in the right place at the time.
| Quote: | Every February, Americans celebrate Black History Month. This tribute dates back to 1926 and is credited to a Harvard scholar named Carter G. Woodson. The son of former slaves, Woodson dedicated his life to ensuring that black history was accurately documented and disseminated.
In an effort to bring national attention to the contributions of black Americans, Woodson organized the first annual Negro History Week in 1926. He chose the second week of February in honor of the birthdays of pivotal black supporters Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
From Jackie Robinson to Tiger Woods, Harriet Tubman to Barack Obama, Black History Month pays tribute to inspirational African Americans from the past, as well as those who will continue to make history well into the future. |
Black History Week/Month was also used to help bring positive black role models to the forefront in a time when segregation, racism, and sterotyping was rampant. All bad negros were violent criminals and all the good negros were musicians. Of course during this time in history, whites were supreme.
Morgan is right, the more you separate the races, the more they stay segregated. It's the definition. Teach your children we're the human race and to love all people and the cycle will be broken.
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runaroundsue
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 10:08 Post subject:
| airehead wrote: | I agree to a certain extent--the more we play the victim about perceived injustices, the more the whole battle goes around and around.
We all have something others don't like whether it be gender, race, religion, status: we need to grow a thicker skin.
But, outright "isms" like saying the Holocaust never happened? That is definitely wrong! |
definitely. My maiden name always brought on "Polish jokes". Yes, it is offensive, but after awhile they'd become generic. When I was younger, I remember asking my dad why Polish people were considered dumb. He told me because the Polish people were "behind industially" and they tried to fight German tanks on horseback. I always took this as a sense of pride and the jokes never bothered me much afterwards. And then "poof", I stopped hearing them.
of course we did have a favorite: "why are Polish woman so strong?" ....they raise alot of dumb bells.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 11:02 Post subject:
| runaroundsue wrote: | | airehead wrote: | I agree to a certain extent--the more we play the victim about perceived injustices, the more the whole battle goes around and around.
We all have something others don't like whether it be gender, race, religion, status: we need to grow a thicker skin.
But, outright "isms" like saying the Holocaust never happened? That is definitely wrong! |
definitely. My maiden name always brought on "Polish jokes". Yes, it is offensive, but after awhile they'd become generic. When I was younger, I remember asking my dad why Polish people were considered dumb. He told me because the Polish people were "behind industially" and they tried to fight German tanks on horseback. I always took this as a sense of pride and the jokes never bothered me much afterwards. And then "poof", I stopped hearing them.
of course we did have a favorite: "why are Polish woman so strong?" ....they raise alot of dumb bells. |
I get a lot of drug jokes being Colombian.
HAHAHAHA. Never heard that one. 
They don't bother me much. I am very aware of the negatives as well as postitives of Colombia.
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prohemp
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 11:09 Post subject:
I think the idea morgan is getting at is that racism is never going to go away so long as we continue to use skin color as a marker of someone's identity and as a way to judge them.
Black history month sets blacks aside rather than incorporating them into a broader historical narrative based on merit. You might believe (and i'm sure a lot do) that this is needed due to traditional history ignoring the importance of black figures, but so long as black historical figures are set apart, the basis of racism is there. The idea that because the influence of blacks is underrepresented in western history so black children can't see more of "themselves" in history without a special "black history" perpetuates identifying people through race, and so continues the the issues that underly the nature of racism.
In a EEO counselor class i once attended, it was argued that president's day was a "white" holiday because it celebrates white people, and children of Mexican heritage deserve an equivalent to celebrate important figures in their history. That's the mentality that will keep racism burning bright. I think what morgan has in mind is the idea we need to stop talking about lincoln or fredrick douglas as a white person or a black person and and focus on their contributions - otherwise we are creating an obstacle to ending racism - or at least reducing it further.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 11:26 Post subject:
| prohemp wrote: | I think the idea morgan is getting at is that racism is never going to go away so long as we continue to use skin color as a marker of someone's identity and as a way to judge them.
Black history month sets blacks aside rather than incorporating them into a broader historical narrative based on merit. You might believe (and i'm sure a lot do) that this is needed due to traditional history ignoring the importance of black figures, but so long as black historical figures are set apart, the basis of racism is there. The idea that because the influence of blacks is underrepresented in western history so black children can't see more of "themselves" in history without a special "black history" perpetuates identifying people through race, and so continues the the issues that underly the nature of racism.
In a EEO counselor class i once attended, it was argued that president's day was a "white" holiday because it celebrates white people, and children of Mexican heritage deserve an equivalent to celebrate important figures in their history. That's the mentality that will keep racism burning bright. I think what morgan has in mind is the idea we need to stop talking about lincoln or fredrick douglas as a white person or a black person and and focus on their contributions - otherwise we are creating an obstacle to ending racism - or at least reducing it further. |
I agree--but as individuals we also need to grow a thicker skin.
As someone said, there exist idiots along class/racial/religious lines.
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 13:47 Post subject:
The trouble, I think, is that in school the major black contributions aren't talked about in class...either at all...or just relegated to February. Can't we talk about Frederick Douglass in October? Well...we could...but we need to hold the subject in february.
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airehead
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 14:02 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | The trouble, I think, is that in school the major black contributions aren't talked about in class...either at all...or just relegated to February. Can't we talk about Frederick Douglass in October? Well...we could...but we need to hold the subject in february. |
Same with Hispanic Heritage Week and Pacific Islander weeks here in the Military....
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sonnylax
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 14:03 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | The trouble, I think, is that in school the major black contributions aren't talked about in class...either at all...or just relegated to February. Can't we talk about Frederick Douglass in October? Well...we could...but we need to hold the subject in february. |
When was the last time you walked into a public school? I work in them all the time here in Atlanta and if anything... the reverse is true.
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prohemp
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 14:07 Post subject:
| Pug wrote: | | Can't we talk about Frederick Douglass in October? Well...we could...but we need to hold the subject in february. |
That's what MF is saying - that's my interpretation.
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 16:11 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: | | Pug wrote: | | The trouble, I think, is that in school the major black contributions aren't talked about in class...either at all...or just relegated to February. Can't we talk about Frederick Douglass in October? Well...we could...but we need to hold the subject in february. |
When was the last time you walked into a public school? I work in them all the time here in Atlanta and if anything... the reverse is true. |
90's.
Atlanta, however, has a very large African American population. My school in Minnesota only had a couple of black kids, so you can guess what wasn't really mentioned, even during february.
But in the late 80's, early 90's when I was in NYC, there was a very, very, very small focus on Black History Month. Very small. It was supposed to be a big deal, but the teachers didn't really touch on it. But then I was in the honor's program at that school and once again, my classes were mostly white (not completely, but mostly).
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HYPERASHEL
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 16:24 Post subject:
i gew up i a very black city. Black History Month was shoved down my thrat during my birthmonth. i almost though i should have been black to get any notice when i was in grade school.
as i got older and went into a Catholic school education we still had a heavy dose of BHM but it least it was not a forced gluttony of it. I never understood why they had to have a recognition month myself. i don't see Asian history month, Italian history month, what about Nativie American month? hell the Native Indians are just as deserving if not more of recognition.
get rid of the in your face and it will be forgotten, just like anything else, if you see it, your reminded of it. if there is no mention of it, it will go away
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runaroundsue
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Posted: 12/19/05 - 17:09 Post subject:
| HYPERASHEL wrote: | i gew up i a very black city. Black History Month was shoved down my thrat during my birthmonth. i almost though i should have been black to get any notice when i was in grade school.
as i got older and went into a Catholic school education we still had a heavy dose of BHM but it least it was not a forced gluttony of it. I never understood why they had to have a recognition month myself. i don't see Asian history month, Italian history month, what about Nativie American month? hell the Native Indians are just as deserving if not more of recognition.
get rid of the in your face and it will be forgotten, just like anything else, if you see it, your reminded of it. if there is no mention of it, it will go away |
We have Native American history month in November. But I believe it's more about recognizing the roots/history of the city, area, state....not a history of people that moved here. We don't have any tribes in my city that I'm aware of, so it isn't to recognize a people/person, but the history of the land. So in essence, I agree with you. Black History month is trying to recognize outstanding members of a race, Native American History is understanding a culture that existed before foreigners arrived in boats... And being able to pronounce half the cities, lakes, rivers in Wisconsin and keeping Menominee, Menomonie, and Menomonee straight!
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