Phila. school mandate: African history

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Riprorin
Why not required courses in Mexican/Spanish history too?

When I was in School during the 60's in California it was of the curriculum. Of course California and most of the Southwests history coincides with Mexico and Spain's History. The Spanish conquest of Mexico and California, the Spanish Missions and the Spanish and Mexican Explorers and Settlers as important to that area of the United States as the Pilgrims and other English Settlers are to the rest of the country (at least the Eastern Seaboard).

As for African History being on the curriculum of Philadelphia Schools, it doesn't matter to me. I always liked History in school and it seems like it would be interesting. If it could help children become more involved in school then it's a good idea.

 

[aswedc]

Every time this happens thousands of White, Asian, and Hispanic students realize the stupidity of the black OMG racism pity movement and become closet racists themselves. Way to go guys.

 

[ahurtt]

Originally posted by: beyoku

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: Riprorin
Why not required courses in Mexican/Spanish history too?

Give it a few more years and it'll happen. Hell, at this rate, Spanish may become the "official" language of the US sooner than later! :Q

good.

See we're all worried about how black and white are gonna get along and meanwhile our country is being invaded and slowly taken over right under our noses by people like this mother fvcker. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

 

[ahurtt]

Originally posted by: kogase

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: Riprorin
Why not required courses in Mexican/Spanish history too?

Good idea. It probably wouldn't hurt to include some accurate history of China, Japan and a host of other places in the school curriculum. Nothing like a good, broad education to help them deal with the world they'll encounter.

Oops -- I'm sorry. I just realized your narrow view of the world precludes you from understanding your own good idea. :roll:

I know in New York we have 2 years of what's called "Global History" that encompasses the world outside of America. It's ridiculous to pander to just one of the minorities inside this country like this. If we were to do that for everyone we'd have required Irish, Italian, African, Mexican, Chinese... the list goes on, and it is not practical.

Agreed. There was even a thread up here from yesterday about how we are destroying America by focussing on diversity and thus our differences rather than focussing on unity. We are just creating hundreds of little pockets of special needs and interests each of which thinks it is more important and deserves a bigger cookie than the next. People need to get the fvck over themselves already, for chrissakes. YOU ARE NOT THAT FRIGGIN SPECIAL!

 

[Genx87]

Of course, the kids dont have a clue about the history of the country they live in so lets try to teach them about a continent thousands of miles away.

I am sure they didnt fund for this either and need to raise property taxes to cover it.

 

[ExpertNovice]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: Riprorin
Why not required courses in Mexican/Spanish history too?

Give it a few more years and it'll happen. Hell, at this rate, Spanish may become the "official" language of the US sooner than later! :Q

It is ironic that English is the official world language but yet having English as the official language of an english speaking language is not politically correct.

Originally posted by: umbrella39
In my high school history class we learned absolutely nothing about black Americans. It was all the old white guys. So maybe now we are getting a sense of what it must be like to be a black teenager, taking a high school history class, and learning little if anything about the many great black Americans this country has known.

To that end though, I am not sure they need a separate class, however. Why not make American history a 2 semester class that covers white, black, Indian, spanish, etc? No need to label the class by the race of the subject matter. Just call it good old American History and cover it all ffs.

Wow. Where and when did you go to school? In the 1950's. In Texas. We were taught about many important black men and women.

As for your suggestion of a 2 semester class... Why is there an emphasis on race? Unless some races are to be considered superior to others.


Newsweek actually did LIE! :| People DIED!

 

[BBond]

The U.S. education system has been Eurocentric forever. I don't hear you people complaining about that. We're teaching European history in our shcools. How could anyone have a problem with including the history and culture of the other continents Americans come from?

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: BBond
The U.S. education system has been Eurocentric forever. I don't hear you people complaining about that. We're teaching European history in our shcools. How could anyone have a problem with including the history and culture of the other continents Americans come from?

Eh? What are you talking about? Again, the "Global History" taught in New York encompasses Europe, Africa, Asia... not so much Australia, but that's okay! Other than that we have one year of state history, while the rest is devoted to American history.

 

[ExpertNovice]

Originally posted by: Jadow
another example of why our schools are falling so far behind.

instead of this crap, add another math class teach people how to balance a checkbook for chrissakes

Stop that. Do you actually want future slaves to be able to read and think? /sarcasm

I picked up a Dallas, Texas newspaper because of the first page above the fold article. The TAKS test which is part of the initiative by President Bush to ensure that children are not promoted without being able to read, write, and do basic math. Supposedly the test is a minimum standard to pass.

The article showed that in some schools as many as 60% of the students made perfect or near perfect scores. In the Dallas ISD 15% of the fifth grade students have failed the test a second time and have one more chance to pass or they repeat fifth grade.

In searching for the article so the actual results could be posted (I failed to find it but it was a June 9, 2005 article) articles were found that suggest that students are being helped to cheat to pass the test. If true and if 15% are still failing that is a pretty dismal record for government run schools.

So, did the liberal mainstream newspaper, sorry for the redundancy, talk about how the "No child left behind" initiative was helping to prevent students from graduating with virtually no education? That is a rhetorical question as everyone knows the answer.

No, they essentially proclaimed that TAKS was a failure and should be eliminated so that students would not be "left behind" as their classmates graduated.

Sounds to me like the educational system failed them a deductive reasoning and critical analysis. Of course, those are not goals of our progressive educational system.

Newsweek actually did LIE! :| People DIED!
CBS actually did LIE! :| People would have DIED!

 

[judasmachine]

Originally posted by: kogase

Originally posted by: judasmachine
ya never know it might actually do something revolutionary. it might actually educate someone.

Ahem... and some good may come out of the Bush Admin's sojourn into the ME.

Hey man, every cloud has a silver lining, right? Meh I don't believe that either. I don't know what it's like in PA, but here in TX, some multi cultural studies would be good for some of these rednecks. As for the ME, we need to get the hell out of there. The racism thing is an issue here at home, therefore I care.

 

[Proletariat]

God forbid we learn anything other than white history /sarcasm

I remember in my high school "Ancient History" class all they taught was Greece and Rome. Nothing about India, Persia or Mesopotamia. And lets not forget that some Europeans don't even consider Greeks and Italians white. Oh I forgot... only when it benefits them. Northern Europeans have carved their niche through violence and slavery and they shall continue it unless programs like this are initiated in order to balance the scales. Our school system does not suck because of these programs it sucks because of the lack of them. Minorities are really not that interested and many times become alienated from seeing and learning about white figures day in and day out. Unmotivated and disinterested students is the most fundamental failing of the American school system.

 

[jonjonsanfru]

Its important... but alas it is merely a chapter of US History, and that is how it should stay. A whole year? wow. As a country the US has made mistakes, and we'll prolly make more... but singling out THIS issue as worthy of an entire year?! What about the kids who can barely read let alone do multiplication tables in their head? I think we need to refocus some of this energy.

 

[cwjerome]

World geography and world history courses can deal with Africa. Making the study of Africa a whole year and making it a requirement is political engineering... it's just a representation of what's wrong with education. How many of those students in Philly have high reading, writing, and math abilities? And now they're supposed to take this class? For what? To "feel better about themselves?"

I have nothing wrong with such a class if students choose to take it, but I haven't heard a reasonable argument yet as to why it should be a requirement. Someone said they liked history-- as if that's rationale for this class being a requirement. Someone said Blacks face hurdles-- as if a class on African history would solve that. Actually, such a class would probably do just the opposite: create more hurdles.

This episode is nothing but politically correct racial separation. It's not a devious plot by skinheads or a comeback of the KKK although a Klan Kleagle himself could do no better to create a more cunning and malicious plan for injuring the social mobility of Black Americans. Promoting some fictitious "Afrocentric" agenda would only re-create American apartheid.

It withdraws Black Americans from America in favor of a bogus connection with Africa. Most Black American families have been in this country for 8 or 10 generations. Thw whole idea that Black Americans are not part of America, that they are part of African culture, is absurd. And racist... the only case that can be made for this Afrocentrism is that because Black Americans have dark skins and Africans have dark skins they have some kind of mystical affinity.

Considering that the vast majority of Black Americans have ancestors that were here for more than 300 years, it's a slap in the face to all of them to jump back before them and act like that's more important. Blacks are very much part of AMERICAN culture. Given the fact that they are about 12% of the population, they have played an extraordinary role in shaping our culture. And the idea that the continent of Africa has in any sense a homogenoues culture is ridiculous. How many White Americans feel the same way to Europe? The artificiality of the whole thing is dismaying... and simply indicates that this is some tribal mentality that's a few centuries out of date.

We need to get back to the idea that Aerica is a melting pot and create a society that's truly colorblind, not carved up into racial and ethnic duchies. Once again I recommend Richburg's "Out of America" as he clearly elaborates on how Balkanization only aggravates problems and keeps the true dream down.

 

[piasabird]

American History books should just add referenced to famous and historical aspects of American History. I think some of this is going a little overboard. Proably a better coverage of European/world History would do us all some good. At college they made my wife who was born and raised in South Korea take a non-western course. This is kind of silly, since she was born and raised in a non-western country. This just goes to show the high degree of our ignorance in trying to diversify America. Diversity is not necessarily a good thing. I dont plan on teaching our children how to become an islamic terrorist in an attempt to diversify America.

I just wonder what would happen if Jay Lenno asked a bunch of people on the streets of New York City who their favorite black hero or historical person in black history is. As a nation we probably know more about famous white abolitionists than we do about famous black men. I live near the Town of Alton, IL where Mr Lovejoy's monument is. Lovejoy was a famous White Abolitionist and died trying to protect his abolitionist printing press from being destroyed. However, they killed Mr Lovejoy and threw his Press in the Mississippi River. St Louis as an area gave aid to many different people and groups in History from the Mormons to the African American runaway slaves. This may be because St Louis was a River Town and a jumping off point for migration and westward expansion.

 

[StageLeft]

Reasons_To_Send_Skoorbaby_To_A_Private_School++;

 

[Gaard]

Originally posted by: ExpertNovice
It is ironic that English is the official world language but yet having English as the official language of an english speaking language is not politically correct.

It is?

 

[jonjonsanfru]

Originally posted by: Gaard

Originally posted by: ExpertNovice
It is ironic that English is the official world language but yet having English as the official language of an english speaking language is not politically correct.

It is?

Check out New Mexico's Official Language... google it, there are people out there that balk at the idea of our national language as English... le sigh.

Edit: Saw what you bolded... well the language of Business/Technology is English by preference, and thats what most global communication is based on... I'll vote it as quasai Official (futuristic...lol).

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: kogase
More pandering, this sickens me. Vic needs to go over there and kick all their asses.

Pandering, huh? Not only should it be a requirement but at the very least it should be taught how the black women raised and taught the white children. No other minority race has contributed more to this country's history and foundation than African Americans. You damn skippy is should be a "bleeping" requirement. Should have been one decades ago.

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: kogase
More pandering, this sickens me. Vic needs to go over there and kick all their asses.

Pandering, huh? Not only should it be a requirement but at the very least it should be taught how the black women raised and taught the white children. No other minority race has contributed more to this country's history and foundation than African Americans. You damn skippy is should be a "bleeping" requirement. Should have been one decades ago.

Keyword here being African Americans. The problem here is making history of Africa a requirement. Completely inappropriate in this country.

 

[cwjerome]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: kogase
More pandering, this sickens me. Vic needs to go over there and kick all their asses.

Pandering, huh? Not only should it be a requirement but at the very least it should be taught how the black women raised and taught the white children. No other minority race has contributed more to this country's history and foundation than African Americans. You damn skippy is should be a "bleeping" requirement. Should have been one decades ago.

I haven't hear anyone say that American history should not include Blacks.. in fact, I've heard quite the opposite.

So now that you've been set straight, please tell us why African history should be a requirement class in American high schools.

 

[g8wayrebel]

Originally posted by: umbrella39
In my high school history class we learned absolutely nothing about black Americans. It was all the old white guys. So maybe now we are getting a sense of what it must be like to be a black teenager, taking a high school history class, and learning little if anything about the many great black Americans this country has known.

To that end though, I am not sure they need a separate class, however. Why not make American history a 2 semester class that covers white, black, Indian, spanish, etc? No need to label the class by the race of the subject matter. Just call it good old American History and cover it all ffs.

Better yet , why not just compile the most influntial people and events and teach them in chronologic order so everone learns all of the above.For that matter , they might even try teaching the TRUTH.

 

[glenn1]

IMHO, it would be much more effective if instead of teaching African history, African present was taught instead. That way for the first time in their lives, the students can get an honest look how their future lifestyle will be like if they choose to be skip school, not learn how to read, and enjoying a dramatically shortened life expectancy by engaging in gang-banging and other thuggish behavior in lawless anarchy ghetto states. Maybe then a kid in Kensington or Camden, NJ will actually realize what opportunities they're pissing away here, that don't even exist for a similar person in a place like Liberia or Zimbabwe.

 

[TuxDave]

That's kind of an odd addition to graudation requirements. I'm all for having people learn about african history, but to REQUIRE a SEPARATE class DEDICATED for African history is a little weird. The closest thing I had as a requirement was 'World History' which included African history.

 

[beyoku]

Originally posted by: ahurtt

Originally posted by: beyoku

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: Riprorin
Why not required courses in Mexican/Spanish history too?

Give it a few more years and it'll happen. Hell, at this rate, Spanish may become the "official" language of the US sooner than later! :Q

good.

See we're all worried about how black and white are gonna get along and meanwhile our country is being invaded and slowly taken over right under our noses by people like this mother fvcker. WAKE UP PEOPLE!

First of all i have your "mother fvcker".
Second of all, im sure the natives americans and "mexicans" said that same thing in times past. Who really "owns" this land.

Third, nothing belongs to YOU. So quit with the "our country" bull, do you even own property? We are being invaded? Get a grip with life and go with the flow, if you have a problem then start making babies, otherwise learn spanish. Dont get mad because the Mexicans are "taking over" the US - Good for them, the US will not always be the land of opportinuty and power controlled by and for WHITE PEOPLE. It doesnt belong to anyone, it was taken from some and in due time it will be given back so deal with it. Maybe you should have beef with the people that HIRE these people that are "invading" "your" country and not the people themselves that come trying to make a better living. IF you tech job is shipped to India, then go where the job goes, if you dont want to get your lazy ass up, then DONT complain,. So you have to take an extra class in African History, so freaking what!? Take the class graduate, goodbye. And for the record history class in US schools = white/european History, no need to lie about it, we all know the truth. Only black person they teach about in schools is MLK, and maybe 5 others, im sure you know them off the back of your hand.

Its people LIKE YOU that are not willing to combine and embrace. YOU are the one that is worried about someone taking a job or something that you assume, and in a bigot like manner, have already assigned as "YOURS." If it is YOUR country then all the opportunity must belong to YOU right? YOU, the complainer, are the one that is making the problems, and the one if in power would make racist and bias laws against people, you need to rethink your role in world and what you live for.,

 

[homercles337]

National black population = 13%
Philadelphia black populatino ~ 50%
W Philly black population > 72%

So it looks like ripracitst is showing his true "colors."

Looks like i should add this:
National Hispanic population < 12%

All this "hispanics are taking over the nation" crap is total right wing crap.