I know that going through public school I was not taught American History from a black person's perspective. I was taught about black people in the U.S. from a white person's perspective. I was taught about the U.S. as being a creation of European explorers and settlers. I was taught about the places that Americans came from originally, and those places were European places and then we learned more about those places. I didn't learn about the specifics of African history at all. Were there various cultural groups in Africa? Not according to my public school education. Africa was one thing and that thing was the place where Europeans went to get their slaves.
Has that changed?
If it hasn't then before we criticize Black History Month then maybe we should insist on the necessary change NOW.
To ignore the role that race has played in the U.S., as if we can just create a clean slate and whala everyone is on an equal playing field is seriously misguided. There is a massive wealth gap and that is something that in many ways is passed from generation to generation. Besides the actual wealth being passed down, the tools to gain wealth are also passed down. African Americans started way behind after slavery was abolished and it hasn't been near long enough for that late start to be equalled out.
Not only has it not been enough time, there have been very specific efforts to slow down, stop, and reverse progress that has been made in the African American community. From red-lining, to segregation, to individual and systemic racial bias and discrimination.
Recently there was a study done where they submitted resumes that were identical, but one had a "white sounding" name while the other had a "black sounding" name. The exact same resume didn't result in the same amount of interviews, not even close. This was true in general. Not a few bad actors. Not just one racist HR person. It was system wide.
The law is not enforced evenly for caucasians and African Americans. The police stop black people at a proportionally higher rate than they do white people. The police ask to search the vehicle at a proportionally higher rate when that person is black. The police make an arrest for nominal quantities of narcotics or other contraband at a disproportionately higher rate when the person is black. Prosecutors pursue the case more often when the defendant is black. Juries convict more often when the defendant is black. Sentences are typically harsher when the defendant is black.
At every step of the legal process outcomes are worse when you are African American. There is bias in the system.
Before we can ignore skin color entirely we need to address these issues and correct them. Just pretending like their is not an issue is not a solution.
