It’s just about the middle of February. Many months today are made special by coining them with a special subject, awareness, or theme. The most well known title for February is Black History Month. I’m no longer is school anymore, where these months were usually celebrated. School was a great place to celebrate such things as Black History Month, Women’s Rights Month, and etcetera. The first thing I noticed about not being in school (and without cable) is that I totally missed at the beginning of the month that it was even Black History Month. I tend to do this with any month. In my white world it had totally escaped me.
That is the thing about being white. We don’t have to think about our ethnicity and what it means to be that ethnicity on a daily basis. My post today however is not on the topic of white blinders. I want to briefly comment on what W.E.B. Dubois thought was most important – education. In 1823, Alexander Twilight became the first African American to graduate with a B.A. from an American University. He graduated from Middlebury College, a small liberal arts college, in Vermont. There is small timeline of African American history in the U.S. at infoplease.com.
Today, in the U.S., education is still unequal between blacks and whites. The reasons are endless and historically rooted from the beginnings of slavery. During Black History Month (and beyond) I encourage everyone to read a little African American history. There is always something to be learned, and gained: whether it is history, friendships, or understanding of diversity and equality. Below I have created a small book list of titles I would recommend. If you want to just check out a website I suggest going to biography.com. The website is basic and easy to navigate.
Book list:
Africa: A Biography of a Continent
African Americans: A Concise History
Divided By Faith
More Than Equals
Race Matters
Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools
The Souls of Black Folk
When I Was a Slave
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
That is the thing about being white. We don’t have to think about our ethnicity and what it means to be that ethnicity on a daily basis. My post today however is not on the topic of white blinders. I want to briefly comment on what W.E.B. Dubois thought was most important – education. In 1823, Alexander Twilight became the first African American to graduate with a B.A. from an American University. He graduated from Middlebury College, a small liberal arts college, in Vermont. There is small timeline of African American history in the U.S. at infoplease.com.
Today, in the U.S., education is still unequal between blacks and whites. The reasons are endless and historically rooted from the beginnings of slavery. During Black History Month (and beyond) I encourage everyone to read a little African American history. There is always something to be learned, and gained: whether it is history, friendships, or understanding of diversity and equality. Below I have created a small book list of titles I would recommend. If you want to just check out a website I suggest going to biography.com. The website is basic and easy to navigate.
Book list:
Africa: A Biography of a Continent
African Americans: A Concise History
Divided By Faith
More Than Equals
Race Matters
Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools
The Souls of Black Folk
When I Was a Slave
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
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