Tiffany, a friend of mine is white and married to a Black man. Her daughter came home from school one day, saying that she was called a "Half-breed". Her mother asked her what she did about it. The girl replied, "I told them that's right!!! I got the best of BOTH worlds!!!" Ava, I know that racism is still a part of our culture, and always will be. There will always be ignorant people. I've had Black friends tell me of instances similiar to what you've said. But regardless, it's not as common today as it was in the sixties, or even the seventies. And I do believe that Dr. King has had a lot to do with the change.
I agree Jackie! Of course it CAN go the other way too! We lived in Southern California at one point when I was young. Our neighborhood was what some people called a "lower class" neighborhood. I had many friends there. The girl across the street was white, the one down the street one way was hispanic, and the 2 or 3 the other way were black. We all played together with no problems! However, there were a couple of black families, that exploited the system. They lied and whatever else you need to do to get more welfare, and they also threatened the social worker if they didn't get what they wanted. They were driving cadillacs--NEW ones, and wearing fur coats, etc. I think they didn't move, so the address would look like a poorer neighborhood! It wasn't right what they did, but it didn't make me prejudiced against blacks because of it! In fact there was a black family that went to our church. The parents were too busy for their kids, and, get this, the kids called their own parents by their first names! Those 4 kids were at our house more than they were home. The parents knew that if the kids weren't home, they'd be at our house! Guess what those four kids (Ages 6-15) called my parents? Mom and Dad! My parents loved it! They would've kept them if it would've worked out! I have a brother and sister, so when my parents and all of us went places sometimes, we all called each other brothers and sisters, and we all called my parents mom and dad! It really was funny to see peoples faces and watch them trying to figure it all out! :lol: Our pastor, who just left for another church, is black. He has two boys and then a girl, the same ages as my kids! They paired off right away, and were all best of friends, and still are. My kids don't see color either! I'm so glad my parents were so open, and I'm so glad my kids don't see why there should be any differences! I WISH there wasn't racism, but there will always be racism of some sort I'm sure! I just want you all to know that I appreciate you all, no matter what color! This is such a neat group of people! :love:
Ava Rose, I shouldn't laugh, but what you mentioned about people's comments about the father does make me chuckle because my mom and I both have similar situations in that our kids look sooo different. I'm average complexion for a white girl, my sis, aka. Beth A. is quite dark and her husband got harrassed when they lived in Texas for "being married to a Mexican". The 3rd one of us is verrry fair and we joke if she just looks at the sun she burns. My brother is blond with a decent tan but the youngest, we joke, got all of the Native American blood in the family. My oldest was quite dark at birth and my son came out snowy white with red hair and green eyes, the third is lighter than me and like I mentioned, Joyce is dark. It's neat, though, because with both families you can tell we are related. Btw, I think the diversity of this group is part of what makes it so wonderful.
Beth, I understand where you are coming from. I have been in the south long enough to see and see it every day. They still have black side, spanish side, and the what ever side.
I think it depends on where in the south you live. In small towns (like the one where I live now and where I grew up) still show lots of prejudices (one of the many reasons I didn't want my kids in school here). When I graduated from high school in the early 90's we still had segregated proms. They were not school sponsored, as the school would not host one for "all" of us (my friends and I tried). I think the proms are still segregated today. We had a black homecoming queen and a white homecoming queen. It was/is so ABSURD!! My husband can't believe it was like that. We lived in a larger city before we moved here, and it was much different. Being in a large city, there were lots of people moving in and out from other parts of the country. For the most part, race wasn't a big deal there. (There are always some people with prejudices.) I so hope the next place we go doesn't have the race issues that are here! An example of things here (this happened just this week): My dd8 came home from church and told me that one of the girls in her SS class isn't allowed to watch "It's So Raven". My kids aren't allowed to watch it either, because of the ESP/"powers" thing, so I didn't think much about it. I just reminded her that she wasn't to watch it either. Then she said, "But Emily can't watch it because Raven has a white boyfriend." It floored me. Of course, I had to go over the reasons why she isn't allowed to watch it and reiterate that it made no difference what color anyone was.
I agree it isn't as common as it used to be. I also think that more people are so programmed to be pc that some are just more quiet about it. It really isn't an issue in my house. Those instances have happened over the course of 10 years! And pretty much those are all of them. I was never one to see color so I never even thought about reactions of others. I also had never dated outside of my race before, so this was all new territory. I had never been on that side of racism. However, I am not angry by it. My uncle told my parents that they should refuse to see my kids. lol. What a jerk. But hey, I didn't get married to make a social statement. I don't ask for more than tolerance. Thankfully, race is not a central issue in my home or my life. I will say for the most part we get very warm receptions and many complements on our children. So, things now as compared to the 60s and 70s are much different. This will be an issue that will never go away. There will always be racism. That is just a fact of life. It doesn't affect me much actually. We haven't been turned down for loans, turned away from realtors, or churches or anything. I think it has a lot to do with how my dh conducts himself. He is very outgoing and personable. He also uses proper grammer and dresses conservatively. Hey, those things matter...for all races. lol. He grew up having a private education and having attitude and conduct stressed in his home. Instead of being rebellious, his family taught being blameless. Also, race is not a sensitive subject and we are not on guard. We just love, laugh and live!
I laugh about it all the time. I do however, get somewhat ticked off when strangers feel they can ask me dumb questions. I mean, really...can you imagine...if I just walked up to someone and asked if their two kids have the same father. lol. Idiots. lol. I, however, joke all the time that I didn't need my dh at all for my youngest. She is all me...she looks completely white. lol. Once I was walking down the street while my kids were riding bikes, a few years ago....my dh was walking a bit ahead of us..actually he was with my ds and I was with my dd. Well, my dd caught up to my dh. This car stopped and the guy told me that my dd was just up ahead if I was looking for her. I said, "Thanks, she is with her dad." The guy was still smiling and said, "ok". I thought that was hysterical...I also thought it was pretty nice of him in a way. My mom still says to me, "when Phil saw Olivia for the first time he just looked and looked at her...do ya think he was wondering if she was really his?" LOL. She was kidding. That was her idea of a joke. Olivia is as light as me and has red hair. So, we laugh about it all the time. I always joke that my kids look so white I forget they are half black. lol.
An old male friend came by once and took me to lunch with his daughter. The little girl was about three or four, and light as can be. I tend to be dark. The waitress asked how it was that we had such a fair child. I wanted SO MUCH to say "Oh, she's not mine. We just picked her at from the mall!" but of course I couldn't!
Well, it seems my kids might not be as "color blind" as I think, lol! Yesterday we were in the car when Phillip asked me, "If I were to marry a 'dark' woman, would our kids be white or dark or something in between?" I told him possibly all the above. What brought THAT on, I don't know!!! I don't mind him possibly marrying a Black woman, but I think age seven is a LITTLE young to be considering it, lol!
We didn't do anything special that day. My DH was off of work, so it was family day. My daughter did ask why the bus didn't come. The H.S. bus stops next to our house. That is our starting time for schooling if we haven't started yet. I told her it was a day off and why. Just did a quick explaination and that was it. She is 6. When I was 6, I didn't care who it was, a day off from school was a day off of school, KWIM. She wants to learn more, there is the libary and internet. I know it is part of history and she knows that.
At what point does this show up in homeschooling ss books? I know that in the BJUP SS for 1st and second it does not. This has to be formally taught at some point, even if you only do it once.
Why does it have to be formally taught? Yes, I'm all for studying important people in history, and believe he should be read about and studied, but I doubt I'd ever formally teach "MLK DAY". And that's not racist. I also don't "teach" Columbus Day.
I agree with Jackie, why do we need to formally study it. I don't study all important people in history if I did thats all we would study.
Yeah I think just a quick run down of the fact of who he was and what he did is all we will do. I won't have to do that though for a while with dd3. Dd10 learned about him in ps. When the day rolls around and dd3 is older I will just tell her what he's about. There will be no formal lesson at all.
We generally watch pbs special about the man and discuss stuff We live in multicultural multicolored area and there are always lots of fun things happening to discuss people in history of importance California is a wonderfully large museum focused place and highly focuses its themes for each important person arts, etc does anyone else find this as tru in thir states < sorry typing lefty still but getting better! >
Um, that was not very... Is not the only Holiday dedicated to one person. I am glad to see that half of these answers (not yours) where positive and intellectually charged. The same could be said about other upstanding White/Asian/Indian/Latino leaders. This seems a case of reductionism to hide some latent prejudice that you may have. In our case, we celebrate MLK because the acts of grass root action is very strong in our family. We are a very activist minded family and ever since I was a small girl in Honduras, I was taught that I was privileged but had a chance to change my community. My uncle empowered peasant indigenous people to keep their culture, to challenge the status quo, to question corrupt govt. I am proud that I had that behind me. Kelsey and I made signs for the MLK celebration, we went to a demonstration and then came home and talked about other great people of color who have changed the way people of our color are treated. To Lenni : You mention facts but nothing to support them. Maybe learn at what he inspired with his activism to see how marginalized people where able to forge their own destiny, and how they still do so. By saying "oh he was bad because he did 1,2, and 3, you tend to ignore how his legacy has strengthened a narrative of justice in the Black American community, one that would not be there if he did not inspire it.
I don't think it is racist to point out faults of a man just because he happens to be black. It is a known fact that he had affairs with prostitutes and has communist ties. I am not sure if he had drinking parties or beat the women. However, there is evidence to support the claims made about prostitutes and communisim. Now, did he strenghten anything??? That is up for debate. YOu see, he was passive. Although his "dream" was radical for the time, he was for peace unlike his counterpart Malcolm X. In my opinion that is why MLK was chosen as a token for a black holiday. I also cannot say that he forged the way for a just black american community all on his own. He inspired many. He did speak of peace. Sadly, not unlike many men in power, his weaknesses would get the best of him and taint his legacy. I do think his faults define him as much as the positive aspects he has. He stood for more than a free black community. He stood on the bible. He claimed to be a man of God. He was a baptist preacher, which means he took an authoritative role over the Word. He is responsible for being above reproach. He more than anyone should have known that his reputation was important. The bible even speaks of those in teaching positions like preachers, being held to a higher standard. (James) This does not mean they will not sin. This does not mean they are better or superhuman. However, it does mean I can call you out if you go against the very Word you claim to uphold. You see by being a preacher you are telling the world that they can trust what you have to say about the Word. MLK just proved he was just was weak as any other man. He is also no better than any other man who stood for positive change. Personally, if I had to choose a black american, I would have chosen Rosa Parks. Now, that lady had spunk! Now, I also think it is pretty insulting to choose one black man to honor for the sole purpose of shutting up the black community from saying things are biased. I also think Black History Month is a joke. History is history. Should be taught as it happened withing the proper context and colorblind. When I was in school we never read about black historical figures unless it was February. I think that is a shame. It also promotes being separate which ironically was very thing that MLK was fighting against. So, don't expect me to get all teary eyed over a token holiday. Ok, sorry for the rant. Just sick of how it always seems to be racist just because you critize a person who is a minority.
First, I said prejudiced, not racist I said prejudiced attitudes not racist. I would suggest you check the conceptual differences between the two before you respond. Secondly, I said that his memory inspired change in the activist community. IT has and it did, I never once claimed that HE WAS THE ONLY ONE, did he. Did he strenghten anything? The will of the common man (all of those people that protested, who participated in the boycott), yes, he did strengthen them, he gave them the inspiration to protest the state of humanity at the moment. I have friends of mine (in the academic circles where I work) who speak as young teenagers participating in demonstrations and then being inspired to go to college and keep the fight for social justice. This person is now head of the dept. in the University that I work. If you think is pretty insulting of having one token person, that is your prerogative. I never claimed it was ok for one person to be celebrated. But since the holiday is there, why not explore other great people who changed our social arena? "So, don't expect me to get all teary eyed over a token holiday" Actually, I was not expecting anything, since the response was for the person who posted three or four words. And about history, the Black History month was made because of our schools inability to be unbiased when it comes to teaching history.
