Black History Month
Another February has rolled around. In addition to another Valentine’s Day and another President’s Day, it also means another Black History Month. The debate will forever continue about whether a black history designation is really needed. I would say that your perspective on the matter determines your opinion on the matter.
I have always said that if the history we were taught “in school” was all inclusive there would be no widespread need for such a designation. But alas, most curriculums of the past have not been so, though they have amalgamated over the years and continue too.
Robyn competed in the Social Studies Fair this year, Jacob too. She chose a topic of controversy—she is her mother’s daughter sometimes. Her topic is critical race theory. Most people have no idea what that is or entails. She didn’t either until she heard her mother talking about it one day and decided it sounded interesting enough to learn more about it. Thus she decided to do her research paper about it.
Critical race theory is in essence a movement and a framework of legal analysis that proposes that race is a culturally invented category used to oppress people of colour through the laws and legal institutions in the U.S. Those frameworks tend to create and maintain social, political, and economic inequalities.
Before she finalized her topic with her government teacher, I told her that it would be a lot of research that would stretch back to the days of the Constitution and may not be well received by some. She shrugged her shoulders and said o.k.
Her required five pages of research turned into 10 pages of interesting American history. Her government teacher must have thought so too, as she was selected to proceed to the district fair from her school and present a display. She put together a display that was as visually stimulating as her topic, not like your usual project backboard.
Anyway the morning of the fair, I told both of them no matter the outcome to take it all in stride. As we arrived at the venue to set up, I felt pretty darn proud to have two kids presenting at the district level. I got Jacob set up as Robyn did her own set up with the aid of her teacher. My son’s teacher was not there as she was celebrating her bachelorette weekend but knew his mommy would have things on lock.
By the time I finished with him, I could barely get a moment with my daughter whose area was flooded with inquisitors before the judging began. Anyway, I wished them both well and headed to the auditorium to decompress, nap, and wait.
When the results came in, he had earned a second place finish and she a first along with a trip to regionals. She’s preparing for those regionals in a few weeks but right now she‘s focused on her competition at the HOSA state leadership conference.
Back to her topic, a few days ago while out shopping I struck up a conversation with a fellow shopper. It began with an opinion on a pricey shirt and sweater and morphed into critical race theory. Turns out she was the cousin of an author of one of the books Robyn used for her research, “The 1619 Project,” which has been made into a docu-series.
The shopper and the author both grew up in Iowa where she said they witnessed their share of racial atrocities growing up. I told her how my 15 year old used her cousin’s book in her research for her social studies project.
She asked how Robyn came to chose her project topic because it was information taught mostly in law schools and is not widely known. I told her that as a parent I talk to my kids about everything really and that because it was little known she chose it.
Anyway, at some point in our hour-long conversation amongst the clothing racks, we came to the agreement that theoretically there should be no black history month, just American history that is all inclusive with the good, bad, and the ugly.
Enough said.