Issue 144
News: Is Black History Month redundant now?
Recently, in my college English class, I had an essay assigned, and the topic assigned was that we had to state how much we as a college should celebrate Black History Month. Before I state my opinion on the Black History Month, I should be completely up front about my attitudes towards race: as Emo Philips, Dennis Miller, and possibly Denis Leary said "Why hate someone for the color of their skin when there are much better reasons to hate them?" I also believe, on a less comedic note, that race is ultimately a social construct that would best be abolished, if at all possible. With this in mind, I believe that we no longer need Black History Month. As a matter of fact, a very interesting point was made when I discovered the circumstances behind the establishment of Black History Month, or, as it was known, Negro History Week. In 1925, Black history was being overlooked by a lot of people, mainly because white people didn't care, and there weren't enough black people with the education to become scholars of their own history. Soon, Carter G. Woodson, a famous black historian, decided to institute a week devoted to the study of black history. This is certainly noble enough and I applaud him for this, but the real kicker is here: Woodson didn't want just a week or a month to be devoted to Black History; He intended the week to become a gateway for mainstream historians to realize the impact that his people had upon America, and when this was accomplished, the celebration would no longer be needed. Certainly we know that Black people had a great impact on this country, especially since the civil rights movement became such a pivotal moment in American History, so perhaps Woodson's intention has been fulfilled. We should certainly teach black history, but why keep relegating it to just one month? Why not celebrate black history alongside white history?
Band Name of the Day: Fantastiny or Nietzsche-Winky. Both are from "Falwell in Hell."
Film idea of the Day: A couple honeymooning in a small Florida hotel ends up witness to the ghosts who still inhabit the hotel complex. (I'm still working on the plot, trying to fit a plot around a version of the Jamaica Inn.)
Review of the Day: Tin Drum. I just watched this movie, and I have to say, it is as accurate an adaptation of Gunter Grass' Nobel-winning work as I can imagine being done. Of course, the real prize is the featurette supplement to the DVD, Banned in Oklahoma, which has the story of how it was briefly banned in Oklahoma, only to emerge vindicated and more popular than ever. I highly reccomend both.
Quote of the Day: "Our kind must never sit in the audience. Our kind must perform and run the show, or the others will run us."
___________Bebra, The Tin Drum
Link of the Day: Falwell in Hell, a webcomic starring Jerry Falwell, Nietzsche-Winky, everybody's favorite demon-Teletubby-philosopher , and a bunch of Squirrels.
Recently, in my college English class, I had an essay assigned, and the topic assigned was that we had to state how much we as a college should celebrate Black History Month. Before I state my opinion on the Black History Month, I should be completely up front about my attitudes towards race: as Emo Philips, Dennis Miller, and possibly Denis Leary said "Why hate someone for the color of their skin when there are much better reasons to hate them?" I also believe, on a less comedic note, that race is ultimately a social construct that would best be abolished, if at all possible. With this in mind, I believe that we no longer need Black History Month. As a matter of fact, a very interesting point was made when I discovered the circumstances behind the establishment of Black History Month, or, as it was known, Negro History Week. In 1925, Black history was being overlooked by a lot of people, mainly because white people didn't care, and there weren't enough black people with the education to become scholars of their own history. Soon, Carter G. Woodson, a famous black historian, decided to institute a week devoted to the study of black history. This is certainly noble enough and I applaud him for this, but the real kicker is here: Woodson didn't want just a week or a month to be devoted to Black History; He intended the week to become a gateway for mainstream historians to realize the impact that his people had upon America, and when this was accomplished, the celebration would no longer be needed. Certainly we know that Black people had a great impact on this country, especially since the civil rights movement became such a pivotal moment in American History, so perhaps Woodson's intention has been fulfilled. We should certainly teach black history, but why keep relegating it to just one month? Why not celebrate black history alongside white history?
Band Name of the Day: Fantastiny or Nietzsche-Winky. Both are from "Falwell in Hell."
Film idea of the Day: A couple honeymooning in a small Florida hotel ends up witness to the ghosts who still inhabit the hotel complex. (I'm still working on the plot, trying to fit a plot around a version of the Jamaica Inn.)
Review of the Day: Tin Drum. I just watched this movie, and I have to say, it is as accurate an adaptation of Gunter Grass' Nobel-winning work as I can imagine being done. Of course, the real prize is the featurette supplement to the DVD, Banned in Oklahoma, which has the story of how it was briefly banned in Oklahoma, only to emerge vindicated and more popular than ever. I highly reccomend both.
Quote of the Day: "Our kind must never sit in the audience. Our kind must perform and run the show, or the others will run us."
___________Bebra, The Tin Drum
Link of the Day: Falwell in Hell, a webcomic starring Jerry Falwell, Nietzsche-Winky, everybody's favorite demon-Teletubby-philosopher , and a bunch of Squirrels.
posted by DerekAxe at 8:23 PM
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