Martin Luther King during the 'I Have A Dream' speech at the Lincoln Memorial (BlatantNews.com/Public Domain (cc: by)/flickr)
As the education system continues to integrate black history into U.S. history lessons throughout the year, we examine whether there's still value in making February Black History month.
William Payne, former Assemblyman in the New Jersey State Legislature and author of a bill that enacted this type of education policy and Raina Kelley, staff writer for Newsweek magazine say even though there are problems with how we celebrate Black History month, ending it might not be the answer.
Read Raina Kelley's essay in Newsweek, "The End of Black History Month? Why I'm Not Ready to Ditch it Yet."
Today's Takeaway: Over 50 and Unemployed, Texting in Class, The Future of Yemen, and Why It's So Hard to End Poverty in America
Why Increased Immigration is the Solution for America's Ailing Economy
Today's Takeaway: Dharun Ravi, NATO Summit, David McCullough, Chen Guangcheng and Unemployment for Older Americans
College Students Either Studying as Hard as Ever, or Not Hard Enough
The show is a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International, in collaboration with The BBC World Service, New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston.
Major funding provided by:
Comments [2]
The Orangeburg Massacre took place in South Carolina, not Mississippi.
http://www.orangeburgmassacre1968.com/
Can we go back to using "Black"?
The phrase "African American" is unwieldy and reinforces an intangible sense that there are Real Americans and then there are the interlopers who are somehow less American. I suppose we could begin calling Caucasians "European Americans", but exactly how far back should we go? Should we call everyone "Tigris and Euphrates Americans"?
We may never completely overcome the issue of race, but nurturing a sense of inclusivity is certainly the wisest patriotic approach.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.