It's hard for me to understand how I was taught history that is (?) untrue. How do people go back hundreds of years and learn the "truth" which is the complete opposite of what I was taught?
Christopher Columbus for one example. Being born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, celebrating him was a big deal. He fell out of favor and parades were halted but he is slowly but surely making a comeback among Italians. And once again has a national holiday.
And then there is Saint Christopher. I grew up Catholic and a St. Christopher medal or figurine was always in our car. He was the patron saint of travelers .... until he was demoted. I suppose that is why GPS was invented?
Here we are at Black History month. Which is what inspired today's blog. I learned about historical figures who were black side by side when I learned about that era of history, US or World. I'm not sure who invented Black History month. Why not an India and China month? Their population alone should be a factor. Why not elder history month? Why not Grandmother month?
Yes, I know that great people do bad things. Even in the 1960's elementary school we learned about the harm to our native American Indians. And slaves. And so on.
Maybe I am just a Pollyanna ... we can still learn a balance between accomplishments and failures. My grandson seems to be learning mostly the negatives about historical figures.
Hmmmm ....
Publishing companies were owned by a select few white men with an agenda in days gone by. They controlled certain slants on the history that were written. Fast forward to this day and age when researching historical documents is so much easier to do and to put together to tell the real stories behind some of the myths that were told to keep blacks, women and Native Americans in their places. I am not much older than you and I don't call ever studying the accomplishments of blacks. Even in college history classes. Unless you're talking about slavery and the Jim Crow era. But inventions and actually accomplishment to the advancement of modern man, no way.
ReplyDeleteBlack history month and woman's history month were started to make up for the long-standing absence of their accomplishments in the history books. One of my own Revolutionary War female ancestors wrote a ton of history books and newspaper articles on the war al under a male name and she didn't get credit for her work until about 25 years ago when letters she'd written back and forth between a president's wife and others in government were discovered and put together. That led to the discovery of her handwritten journals and book notes.
I do remember learning about blacks and their accomplishments. But I sure don't remember Women's History Month ... I had to look that up. That started right about the time my daughter came along ... but I don't remember her having projects for Women's History. Hopefully we will each have our own special month! Mine will be May!
ReplyDeleteLet me know if you get your own month, I'll help you celebrate. I'm campaigning to get April. :)
ReplyDeleteBy the time "they" get done re-writing the history books, they will be so bland and our grand kids will never hear about what really happened as our country, fumbled along and grew. Why don't the history books or for that matter, during Black History Month, don't people tall about the African queens, kings and rulers that captured and sold their own people into slavery to gain riches for their own purposes?
ReplyDeleteI kinda agree with you Judy. Using any "wrong" terminology she fires people up. I never knew I had white privilege until this past year ... that JUST because I'm white is the only reason my life turned out as it has. Nothing to do with me working full time and my spouse working ten years past retirement. Saving when we'd rather have a honeymoon or a vacation. Just pure white luck!???
DeleteI'm claiming October for my month. It's the best month ever in my neck of the woods. I love me some October.
ReplyDeleteBella