Daughter Getting First Black History Month Education (vanity)

none | 2/2/2006 | antiRepublicrat

[antiRepublicrat]

A call for advice.

Me and my immediate family are white. My young daughter is about to get her first bit of instruction/indoctrination in "African-American History Month" next week, and I'm worried.

My daughter knows nothing of race. The neighbor kids she plays with are black and Mexican, and we have several black family members by marriage who she loves dearly. She sees the difference in skin color the same as a difference in hair or eye color -- absolutely meaningless. This is fortunate because I do have a zero-tolerance policy on racism.

So, the problem. I'm worried the BHM instruction will teach her to see blacks as people somehow different from her, even worse, some kind of special group to be treated with kid-gloves in the condescending style the leftists like so much. This school's Thanksgiving instruction already had my daughter seeing Indians as some kind of a caricature ("Daddy, I want an Indian!"), which I had to fix quickly, so there's precedent to be worried.

I'm planning a talk with the teacher, but does anyone here have further advice or lines of argument?

Or am I wrong?

[Just A Nobody]

Remove your child from the public indoctrination camp.

[EBH]

At this point she is going to learn a valuable life lesson. You need to approach this as such a lesson about other people and about real discrimination. How it isn't about the color or ethnicity, it is about the attitudes towards others. Work especially close with her on these lessons this month, daily. The teachers lesson plan won't change no matter how much you would like it too. Your daughter will have lots of things she is thinking and may need to express them in a safe environment. No matter what don't judge her for the impressions, thoughts, and feelings...she needs your help to figure out how they will fit into her sense of self.

[One Proud Dad]

If you cannot afford private school try this:

Un-enroll you child for a month and home school her ( send her for visit to grandparents whatever ) and then re-enroll her. They cannot count her absent so she is not truant.

I know a guy who yanks his out every year for a family vacation about that time.

[billybudd]

She sees the difference in skin color the same as a difference in hair or eye color -- absolutely meaningless. This is fortunate because I do have a zero-tolerance policy on racism.

If the first part of this statement is true, then why do you need a zero-tolerance policy? You're telling me that you equate saying "Brown-haired people are stupid" with "Brown-skinned people are stupid"? The first is silly, the second is racist. Why is that? You should admit to yourself that your family is just as color conscious as the rest of the country.

[antiRepublicrat]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try dealing with it the same way as the Indian incident. I didn't get mad at her, just calmly explained that Indians are real people and asked her if she had any questions.

I'm still seeing that teacher in advance though. Unfortunately, we're already known as "problem parents." You know, the kind who really like to be involved in their child's education, not just the minimal involvement the schools want. The school has a "we're in charge of your kid's education, not you" attitude, and the PTA is just a fundraising group with no real activity on the subject of parental involvement in education.

Unfortunately, I don't have much in the way of options. We tried homeschooling (read the literature, got the education packs, spent the structured time, etc.), but she just does better in a classroom full of other kids.

[pepperhead]

My daughter knows nothing of race. The neighbor kids she plays with are black and Mexican, and we have several black family members by marriage who she loves dearly. She sees the difference in skin color the same as a difference in hair or eye color -- absolutely meaningless.

That's funny my little nephew is the same way. Little kids that age don't care about race. The problem comes latter on down the line when they get around close minded people that do. But I don't think that will ever be a problem for your daughter.

As for talking to teacher about all this, it isn't going to help. They are going to teach it whether you like it or not. I also am not a fan of a "Black History Month". I think black history should be taught right along side of white history. But I as I said they are still going to teach it. I also might have some reservations to the age at which they start teaching kids stuff like this. But on the other hand at some age race might start to become a issue and our children should know everything that happened in the past and how wrong some of it was. Maybe you will get lucky and they will focus more on individuals like George Washington Carver and the positives for a few years.

[antiRepublicrat]

If the first part of this statement is true, then why do you need a zero-tolerance policy?

That's from my point of view. Her outlook now is that there is no difference so it doesn't really apply -- yet, and hopefully never.

She's young now and I know she'll eventually notice the difference, but I just don't want that difference pointed out to her for the first time by the PC crowd with its condescending, guilt-tripping slant. Maybe preemptive instruction would help?

[EBH]

I agree with you, it is not 'black' history or 'white' history...it is OUR history. Good, bad it is ours to know and learn and grow from.

[antiRepublicrat]

But on the other hand at some age race might start to become a issue and our children should know everything that happened in the past and how wrong some of it was

Of course, and if the schools don't teach it, I will. I'm a history buff and concentrated my elective college courses on history, especially African (no race reason, just that my K-12 didn't teach me a damn thing about the continent, and I was interested). I have a feeling the only way she'll find out about the native African role as perpetrators in the slave trade will be from me.

Maybe you will get lucky and they will focus more on individuals like George Washington Carver and the positives for a few years.

I'll find that out when I talk to the teacher tommorow. Let's hope.

[rlmorel]

If it were my kid, I would take time to teach "Black History" to her in a way the schools will not.

I would get the book "Up from Slavery" by Booker T. Washington, and read that to her, or have her read it and discuss it with her.

I would point out people like Clarence Thomas, Thomas Sowell, and yes, even Bill Cosby. Why they are respected by most thinking people, why they got to where they did, and why they hold the beliefs that they do.

I would explain someone like Jesse Jackson to her in terms she can understand, and why his involvement in the black community is so harmful to blacks.

I would also explain why the school, the teacher and many people she sees in the school setting think it is important to have a "Black History Month", and how misguided they are.

Lastly, I would try to help her understand why a color-blind, meritocracy-based society is far preferable to a diversity-based, race-based society.

[antiRepublicrat]

I agree with you, it is not 'black' history or 'white' history...it is OUR history. Good, bad it is ours to know and learn and grow from.

Now you bring up another good point I'll have to deal with eventually, which is if the schools teach the bad points as a "White America is evil" guilt trip rather than your proper view of learning from the mistakes of the past. My wife is German, so she's had to deal with the Nazi guilt trip they used to lay on their kids.

[antiRepublicrat]

Thanks, all very good ideas, but they will have to wait or be simplified until she's ready for them.

[rlmorel]

LOL...of course, I didn't ask how old she was...:)

[Tblake221]

Why are you worried about your daughter getting her first African American History ‘lesson’? There is nothing to worry about. Your daughter obviously doesn't’t see race and that isn't a problem. That means she is treating everyone equally which is great but I think that by having this lesson will help later in life. It is something that will help in the long run, ya know. I love when you say “She sees the difference in skin color the same as a difference in hair or eye color -- absolutely meaningless. This is fortunate because I do have a zero-tolerance policy on racism.¨ That is wonderful..not many people nowadays think this way. Who cares about the color of ones skin? We should see the person for who they are not what they look like, right? Let your daughter go for this instruction and she will come back with many questions and may not know what to think? But that is what you are there for to help answer any questions she may have. I think this will be a great lesson for her. Honestly, I don´t think you have anything to worry about. You can meet with the teacher and express your concerns but I am sure her teacher will reassure that everything will be okay. And if the teacher thinks there will be problems with this BHM education instruction I am sure she will inform you of it.

[Oberon]

My family homeschools.

We could, if we wished, do a perfectly credible "Black History Month."

We'd study such historical figures as Frederick Douglass, Hannibal of Carthage, and Augustine of Hippo. We'd watch Zulu Dawn, and eat peanut butter sandwiches in honor of Dr. George Washington Carver.

Oh...and I might have the kids listen to some Dizzy Gillespie. =]

[Oberon]

My wife was walking with our kids through our neighborhood, and as they trooped down the sidewalk, some local children-of-color passed by on the street going the other way. My six-year-old son waved as they went by.

My ten-year-old son said "What are you doing, Sam?"

Sam replied "I'm wavin' to the brown people."

He didn't add "Duh!" but he could have.