Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Feb. 26, 1998, edition 1 / Page 5
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Historians: Teach more history during Black History Month B) ROBERT LAMME F?yellfvilk Otumr-TlMl FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) ? When Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week in ?1926, most historians treated his tory as if American blacks didn't have a past. Few books described their lives in detail, and those that did often tjsed scholarship to portray blacks as an inferior race with a second class culture and intellect. Today, the tak that most histo rians tell of America's past is dif ferent. History texts include blacks and other minorities and women. Black and African-American stud ies departments have sprung up at colleges and universities. Woodson's Negro History Week has been expanded to Black History Month. In a country where polls sug gest many people know almost no history, many professors like the idea of Black History Month. Even as they support it, though, historians say Black History Month could be improved by adding more, well, history. And one professor, Fayetteville State University's Claude Hargrove, says the annual celebration has outlived its usefulness and ought to be scrapped. For Hargrove, who has taught history at FSU since 1982, Woodson's twin goals ? to make blacks visible in history and to debunk myths and stereotypes about them ? have been achieved. -It's an old battle and I think we should declare victory." he said. Hargrove argues that too many Black History Month events have become feel-good celebrations planned by non-historians to pro vide a one-dimensional look at the same black heroes each year. From Hargrove's perspective, the discus sion of whites' role in African American history is almost always absent from Black History Month. And any examination of blacks' problems or mistakes, he said, is either not allowed or ignored. "Black History Month is just symbolic ? meaningless, really," said Hargrove. "They do it and say, 'OK, let's acknowledge this and then forget about it the rest of the year.'" FSU political science professor Phillip McGuire, agrees that African-America history is now widespread in most colleges But he argues that Black History ? "Nk :?r? ' Month is still needed. McGuire said too few students ? black and white ? know the basic events of African-American history, such as the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the Harlem Renasissance or the importance of the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown vs. Board of Education. McGuire, says, however, that young people, particularly blacks, need the knowledge and inspira tion that their history can provide to help them help themselves and others SHOPFRID^ : ?BHMIHIHIAI -^1 f ?i^BB ^ r ? ? 1 ! ; prices MISSES ? ? COATS i INTIMATE APPAREL? SHBI^^^^^^^HPtOUNG MEN*CHILDREN 770^? PQ7 HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Original price - $40 Current price ....19.99 Less Additional 50% $10 RED DOT PRICE ...9.99 Total savings of 75% on this item. HECHTS No admstments to pfioi sales Juniors and Fine Jewelry not included in sale
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 26, 1998, edition 1
5
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75