This is great. This kind of one-dimensional interest group promotion is divisive. As you say, most of the assertions made are not true, and it all creates a victim mindset, which is a growing problem in Canada. As an ACTUAL descendant of blacks in Canada from the early 19th century, I find this constant whining off-putting, and do note that the Black Power symbol that represents this movement. If you want some REAL Canadian black history, read this. My ancestor is mentioned in it. https://www.mqup.ca/black-then-products-9780773527355.php
I'm sure those are very interesting stories. Local history stories of actual people everywhere are great, and often self-published. I see this is put out by the McGill-Queen's University Press!
Yes, the book was written by a former Montreal Gazette journalist. My ancestor (GG Grandfather) was named James Thomas Nurse, he is in that book. He came to Lower Canada from a Barbados slave plantation in 1837, via New York City. He settled in the Sherbrooke Quebec area, we have a whole history of him. He prospered, and we have boatloads of his descendants as family all over the Montreal to Toronto corridor. The idea that he was some of kind of 'victim' is absurd. You can read more about him here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2801
“The school system is...telling these black [Caribbean] kids and their parents/guardians that it is not the student’s fault, it is the system which is ‘colonial’ and ‘Eurocentric.’”
Meanwhile, Asian kids raised in a non-western language and culture outperform everybody.
If schools had Black History Month every month, it wouldn’t make any difference.
I got interested in Black history when I was in Grade 7, in 1959, because I was already interested in history, and my Grade 7 teacher was Black, charismatic and male, all three firsts for me. Indeed he was the only Black teacher in the school district. Somehow this led me to a local history pamphlet about my hometown. St.Catharines, Ontario, being a final stop on the Underground Railway (1) and (2) immediately segregating its schools, but abandoning this for cost reasons.
Only recently have I looked into it more, discovering what our history courses never taught us about slavery in Canada, about how slavety was abolished here,about US slave catchers chasing escapees into Canada and abducting them , this in St.Catharines--- and being chased across the border by St. Catharines Blacks and Buffalo supporters who freed the abducted and got them safely back on the ferry to Canada.
I would agree wholeheartedly, it is very interesting. Not sure why there's a month recognizing it as special, though, because it's all wrapped up with the general history of Canada. Most Canadians, for example, can't even tell you two founders of Confederation. There is not an Aboriginal or Asian History Month or a Ukrainian, Italian, or French Canadian History Month, all of which would also be very interesting. I'd personally like to see a "British Columbia History Month" for my own province, to help raise people's awareness of the history here, the complexity of which is woefully unknown or very distorted by today's identity politics.
It's all interesting and anything that promotes research into Canadian history s a good thing per se. After my earlier comment I began thinking about the Irish. How about an Irish History Month? Again, in St. Catharines, a big Irish contingent came to build the Welland Canal. Weirdly, rhe "Negro Corps" raised in the War of 1812 was revived to keep the peace between Catholic and Protestant Irish.
But we must resist the misuse of history as a weapon against one group, like us Europeans.
I am always wondering why if there's a Black history month, there isn't an Asian History Month. It's likely one is not considered necessary, as Asians are not usually considered victims, despite the Japanese Internment and Asian exclusion acts in Canada's history, and are the highest income earners, on average, in Canada. Another thing I wonder is what if someone is half Black and half White? Is he or she considered part of Black History Month? I wonder what fraction is necessary. This is only one of the absurdities here.
Dividing history into colour zones is absurd. What is needed is a "Canada History Month," to raise awareness and knowledge for everyone. History is far more nuanced and complex than the identity politics version.
you already know the answer to that - EVERY month! And every day is Heterosexual Day and every week Man Week.... The activists just want "fairness" and "inclusion" dontcha know??
It is very possible that Black History Month will be a victim of its own success--that is, that the BLM activists that have triggered such a hoopla over "Black History" and created an entire month of it with such a loaded racial imperative, are also consigning it to the overloaded baggage department of history. Meaning people will get Black History Exhaustion, because of course most of what goes on in a forced hype for things no one is that interested in (even Black people), and there's only so many plays, books, films, etc.. that can be conjured up about Black oppression and overcoming it. Black History Month may over time just become this dull, embarrassing, month-long strained ritual--until it is quietly shelved.
This is great. This kind of one-dimensional interest group promotion is divisive. As you say, most of the assertions made are not true, and it all creates a victim mindset, which is a growing problem in Canada. As an ACTUAL descendant of blacks in Canada from the early 19th century, I find this constant whining off-putting, and do note that the Black Power symbol that represents this movement. If you want some REAL Canadian black history, read this. My ancestor is mentioned in it. https://www.mqup.ca/black-then-products-9780773527355.php
I'm sure those are very interesting stories. Local history stories of actual people everywhere are great, and often self-published. I see this is put out by the McGill-Queen's University Press!
Yes, the book was written by a former Montreal Gazette journalist. My ancestor (GG Grandfather) was named James Thomas Nurse, he is in that book. He came to Lower Canada from a Barbados slave plantation in 1837, via New York City. He settled in the Sherbrooke Quebec area, we have a whole history of him. He prospered, and we have boatloads of his descendants as family all over the Montreal to Toronto corridor. The idea that he was some of kind of 'victim' is absurd. You can read more about him here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2801
Great that people do this research!
An indicator of poor education performance and high crime rate for young males is not having a father/father-figure at home.
Many black communities have this problem.
Maybe that is at least a reason for the poor performance for some sectors of the black community.
“The school system is...telling these black [Caribbean] kids and their parents/guardians that it is not the student’s fault, it is the system which is ‘colonial’ and ‘Eurocentric.’”
Meanwhile, Asian kids raised in a non-western language and culture outperform everybody.
If schools had Black History Month every month, it wouldn’t make any difference.
The racism card is a canard.
Racial politics is pure poison.
I got interested in Black history when I was in Grade 7, in 1959, because I was already interested in history, and my Grade 7 teacher was Black, charismatic and male, all three firsts for me. Indeed he was the only Black teacher in the school district. Somehow this led me to a local history pamphlet about my hometown. St.Catharines, Ontario, being a final stop on the Underground Railway (1) and (2) immediately segregating its schools, but abandoning this for cost reasons.
Only recently have I looked into it more, discovering what our history courses never taught us about slavery in Canada, about how slavety was abolished here,about US slave catchers chasing escapees into Canada and abducting them , this in St.Catharines--- and being chased across the border by St. Catharines Blacks and Buffalo supporters who freed the abducted and got them safely back on the ferry to Canada.
This is very interesting history, 0.5 % or 2.5%.
I would agree wholeheartedly, it is very interesting. Not sure why there's a month recognizing it as special, though, because it's all wrapped up with the general history of Canada. Most Canadians, for example, can't even tell you two founders of Confederation. There is not an Aboriginal or Asian History Month or a Ukrainian, Italian, or French Canadian History Month, all of which would also be very interesting. I'd personally like to see a "British Columbia History Month" for my own province, to help raise people's awareness of the history here, the complexity of which is woefully unknown or very distorted by today's identity politics.
It's all interesting and anything that promotes research into Canadian history s a good thing per se. After my earlier comment I began thinking about the Irish. How about an Irish History Month? Again, in St. Catharines, a big Irish contingent came to build the Welland Canal. Weirdly, rhe "Negro Corps" raised in the War of 1812 was revived to keep the peace between Catholic and Protestant Irish.
But we must resist the misuse of history as a weapon against one group, like us Europeans.
I am always wondering why if there's a Black history month, there isn't an Asian History Month. It's likely one is not considered necessary, as Asians are not usually considered victims, despite the Japanese Internment and Asian exclusion acts in Canada's history, and are the highest income earners, on average, in Canada. Another thing I wonder is what if someone is half Black and half White? Is he or she considered part of Black History Month? I wonder what fraction is necessary. This is only one of the absurdities here.
Just ask the Toronto district school board. It’s in May!
Can anyone tell me what month is white history month?
Dividing history into colour zones is absurd. What is needed is a "Canada History Month," to raise awareness and knowledge for everyone. History is far more nuanced and complex than the identity politics version.
you already know the answer to that - EVERY month! And every day is Heterosexual Day and every week Man Week.... The activists just want "fairness" and "inclusion" dontcha know??
It is very possible that Black History Month will be a victim of its own success--that is, that the BLM activists that have triggered such a hoopla over "Black History" and created an entire month of it with such a loaded racial imperative, are also consigning it to the overloaded baggage department of history. Meaning people will get Black History Exhaustion, because of course most of what goes on in a forced hype for things no one is that interested in (even Black people), and there's only so many plays, books, films, etc.. that can be conjured up about Black oppression and overcoming it. Black History Month may over time just become this dull, embarrassing, month-long strained ritual--until it is quietly shelved.