Something is different this year.
I'm looking at the TV schedule and there isn't show after show scheduled about black history.
Almost as if the meaning has finally been lost.
I've long maintained that the history they rammed down our throats every year for an entire month was merely U.S. history.
And to be truly honest about black history we'd have to bring up Africa. Lots of failure there, huh?
It's hard not to draw some racist conclusions when viewing nation after nation fail to thrive once their colonial governments left.
I was reading about the history of Rhodesia. Part of the problem about its independence was majority rule. There was a strong contention that the average citizen of Rhodesia was not prepared to be a voter after being colonial subjects their entire lives. The policies of slowly bringing the populace up to speed was called racist, or worse.
How's things in Zimbabwe nowadays?
Is it still racist if it's the truth?
From what I read, the policies in place in Rhodesia were, on the surface, racist. They would also have, by now, have lead to an educated and empowered populace.
The true tragedy is the colonial powers washed their hands of their colonies and basically said, "fuck it, we're outta here; you're on your own; good luck!"
It bothers me that when teaching "black" history we fail to teach WHO rounded up their black brothers and sisters in Africa and sold them to the highest bidders in the slave trade (I'm sure you realize, but most dont, that many of the slave traders were black, buying and selling their brothers and sisters) to be exported mainly to South America but also to North America and Europe.
ReplyDelete