John Hope Franklin @ the University of Rochester in 1953
from The Loop
Black History is More Important Than Ever
by Mark Anthony Neal
he election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President has accelerated conversations in this country about the significance of race. For those who thought that the country had already made significant racial gains, President Obama’s election was just confirmation. For many others, the election of the first Black president means little to those who lack the opportunity and privilege that President Obama was afforded.
As the debates rage on with regards to whether or not we live in a post-race society, it is perhaps legitimate to wonder about the significance of Black History, as we celebrate the first Black History Month in this country after the election of the first Black head of state.
According to a logic that suggests the country has transcended the limitations of race, it would seem there should be no use for the study of Black History and by extension, institutions such as African-American Studies departments and black cultural centers.
But that logic largely works only for those who never viewed the study of Black History as a serious enterprise and only as a feel-good endeavor designed to enhance the self-esteem of African-American youth. And while there is great pride to be taken in the learning of so many black “firsts,” Black History and the field of African-American/Black Studies is so much more than that.
Read the Full Essay @
Black History is More Important Than Ever
by Mark Anthony Neal
he election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President has accelerated conversations in this country about the significance of race. For those who thought that the country had already made significant racial gains, President Obama’s election was just confirmation. For many others, the election of the first Black president means little to those who lack the opportunity and privilege that President Obama was afforded.
As the debates rage on with regards to whether or not we live in a post-race society, it is perhaps legitimate to wonder about the significance of Black History, as we celebrate the first Black History Month in this country after the election of the first Black head of state.
According to a logic that suggests the country has transcended the limitations of race, it would seem there should be no use for the study of Black History and by extension, institutions such as African-American Studies departments and black cultural centers.
But that logic largely works only for those who never viewed the study of Black History as a serious enterprise and only as a feel-good endeavor designed to enhance the self-esteem of African-American youth. And while there is great pride to be taken in the learning of so many black “firsts,” Black History and the field of African-American/Black Studies is so much more than that.
Read the Full Essay @
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