Black History Month: Untold stories
We are engaged in a political feud between the right and the left … conservatives and progressives … Republicans and Democrats … over the issue of what and how black history is to be taught in our public schools. It also involves how black history is presented in various public media – news, entertainment and feature reporting (documentaries). The question centers on the issue of partisan bias.
Shaping history education along political lines is not limited to race. We see it every day as left-wing “historians” – such as Jon Meacham and Michael Beschloss use their academic credentials to spin history according to their political left-wing biases.
Democrats claim to be the political institution dedicated to equality … equal opportunity … equal justice. Conversely, they characterize Republicans as bigots and racists. It is a false narrative that gets undeserved credence from the left-wing media treating Democrat narratives as news. People cannot know the truth if they do not hear the WHOLE truth.
The black history that is taught and presented is a misrepresentation of fact – achieved by omitting critical portions of black history and offering a completely false view of history in other instances.
One of the major falsehoods is the claim that Republicans (conservatives) do not want black history to be incorporated into the educational curricula. Totally untrue. The black experience is an integral part of American history. We want a COMPLETE AND ACCURATE history to be taught – not the truncated left-wing version.
Blacks have played an important role in the American success story. It is not just the labor of slaves but the many accomplishments of free and educated (even self-educated) Negro Americans from the colonial period to modern times.
African blacks – slave and free – were part of the Revolutionary war. The first fatality of that conflict was a black man named Crispus Attucks. Former slave Frederick Douglass recruited blacks for the Union Army. Theodore Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill (actually Kettle Hill) is more likely to have been remembered as where the future President died had it not been for a black military unit. On the first attempt, Roosevelt’s Rough Riders were surrounded by the Spanish. It was a black battalion that rushed to their rescue – preventing all but certain death or capture.
Segregated black units fought in both World War I and II. Most notable were the Tuskegee Airmen. They were segregated by indisputably the most racist white supremacist President since the end of slavery – Woodrow Wilson. The first integration of military units was ordered by then-General Dwight Eisenhower. He created a special unit that integrated Tuskegee airmen with regular white flight crews.
Wilson is somewhat known for segregating the military, but history often omits his segregation of the Executive Branch of the Federal government. He put in place policies that would deter the hiring of blacks. That is why he established the requirement that federal employment applications would have to be accompanied by a photograph. He did the same thing at Princeton University, when he was the school’s president. Has that been part left-wing black history?
It is ironic that the power-elite of a political culture that would tear down statues of President Lincoln – and remove his name from public schools — are the same folks who gather at a Washington, D.C. think tank named after Woodrow Wilson — and lecture alongside the statues and memorials to Wilson at Princeton.
The left-wing version of black history is a complete misrepresentation of Franklin Roosevelt – who was the second most racist President since the end of slavery.
Roosevelt was a hardcore white supremacist. His prejudice was not only against Negroes. His opposition to interracial marriage also extended to Asians. (More about Roosevelt in a future commentary.)
These are just small samples of how black history has been distorted or censored for partisan political purposes. In the next Black History Month commentary, we will look at the flagrant misrepresentation of the 1960s civil rights era.
So, there ‘tis
Want to see the actual black history, go visit the once beautiful neighborhoods throughout our cities people used to travel there for shopping and dining, they are GHETTOS now, since blacks moved in. Because one black breaks from the pack and accomplishes something, that does not erase the reality, they are destructive animals who should have never been taken out of the jungle
The problem is not the race, it is the condition. Throughout US history from about 1710 (when blacks had their farms taken away by whites in what was called New Amsterdam, now called New York) to today, black people have been oppressed and often have not had a fair chance. The problem is that throughout US history, the fair and level playing field has not been fair and level, it has been tilted to make just about everything an uphill climb for the black race. The government through policy tilted the playing field, as did the society that influenced local laws and statutes, which forced many black folks into poverty. In a capitalist system, tilting the playing field will always cause high poverty as well as negative feelings of self worth, and anger, poor education, hopelessness, etc.. So when the group that has to climb up the tilted playing field moves into an area, so does the poverty and low feelings of self worth. Its not the color of the skin that causes neighborhoods to be destroyed, its the poverty as well as negative feelings of self worth, and anger, poor education, hopelessness, etc.. Tilted playing fields demoralize and destroy the human spirit. Those neighborhoods are really an outward picture of what an inward broken human spirit looks like.
So put away your broad brush that you wish to paint all African Americans with, unless you wish to be painted by the same brush.
John J … You comment is both is pathetic ignorance. The ghettoes you describe are created by city hall … by segregation … by red lining … by racist policies of the folks who run the schools, the police, to zoning, the infrastructure, the housing departments. The problem is not the people. They are the victims. If you were unable to get an education … a job … descent housing … good streets, plumbing, parks … and unsafe streets … ignorant folks would be talking about you like you are talking about them. You opinion has been formed by the same racists politicians who run the cities. The blame the blacks. They not only run the racist institutions, but “educate” folks like you to misplace the blame. The buck stops at city hall in terms of the conditions in the urban ghettoes.
I agree Larry!
And it never happens where the Republicans roam…….
John J.
If you’re unabashedly a racist, you’re probably a Republican ( Republican here substituted for “red neck”). “ There goes the neighborhood” attitude has a racist ring to it.
A neighborhood’s decline has less to do with occupancy and more to do with property ownership. Since, black families often are denied mortgage applications for ownership of a home they would care for, and, then, are forced into renting .
You, presumed to be white, run the great risk of appearing more like the animal in your view describing all people who are of the black race.
Indiscriminate hateful regard targeting another whole race has legal implications when demonstrated by action or speech in public..
Surely, you are aware, a right of expression on this subject have a limit.
But, you do state something true, People living free in there home country should never have been kidnapped, bound, shipped like so much cattle in rancid ships, stripped naked, separated from children and family auctioned off into slavery, whipped,, beaten, starved, tortured, hung, drowned, shot dead, and more unimaginable cruelty.
No human being has the remotest right to immorally steal another human being innocent and undeserving and do with the captive however the captor sees fit,
It a travesty perpetrated on real humans that defies all standards of humaneness.
John J consider persons by the 10’s in 1,000’s were abducted from among your people and the country of your origin.
Your forebears, then we’re forced into slavery and to Islamic masters Egypt, Africa, India, maybe China. Not one person on that place looked like you, understood your language, nor showed any restraint in harsh treatment. Their one reason for keeping you barely alive and aware is the price on your head,
Given your mind defined in words previously shared, doubtless your reaction to treatment toward you by others would be like a fire motivating action. In comparison, black and people of color have actually acted with relative restraint through centuries in time.
I doubt you and your people would be as long suffering with so many injustices
“they are destructive animals who should have never been taken out of the jungle.”
why would any decent human being allow such lies, filth, disinformation, bigotry, and racism to be allowed on the website he has responsibility for under the guise of “free speech?” what is he saying: treat blacks like destructive animals to be put down for the good of his community? Does Joe really think this is free speech OR is he just trying to make as many bucks as he can though the posts of crap like this? Probably supports all the DeSantis “purity” bans at the same time, freakin hypocrite that he is. Joe the whore to bigotry, hate, and racism.
Have some class Joe, set some standards, monitor and enforce them. Even if you set the lowest of bars, it’s better than before.
Otherwise, really open it up for free speech and quit banning only the people you don’t like when they point the bias gun directly at you and yours.
Frank, it is unfortunate that free speech means good people will have to endure the hate side of free speech as well. Who is the “Joe” you are referring to in your post? Biden? DiMaggio? Palooka?
Joe Gilbertson, the moniker on the site.
See his Paul Pelosi piece featuring the two pantless jackoffs of lies. Didn’t even pass a sniff test.
Really, free fucking speech on a private site? Why? It’s his choice whether to have standards, ethics, etc. And no one has to accept lies, hate speak, and incendiary racist crap on a private site.
The entire State of Florida has banned free speech, free expression, and more. There’s lots of stuff you can’t say or do in public there. They even ban books.
Tom, the law says it’s his site, he can do what he wants and he wants racism, bigotry, hate and calls for violence.
I may take it but I don’t have to enable this fucking shit like this owner. Until he bans me too 😉
Frank Stetson … you comment about “the entire state of Florida” is bullcrap. Maybe you need to be censored from making such false claims — and they are false. Just you malignant and ignorantly opinion, Why should you be allow to spread falsehoods on this site? You are here because the folks on the site respect free speech. You say “until he bans me too.” That proves that you have no concept of what free speech is about. As an arrogant left-winger, you endorse censorship … blocking … delete … cancel what offends you. Those of us how believe in free speech can get offended, but then we respond — not censor the offensive. In fact, I believe by not exposing offensive speech we allot it to grow and fester in darkness. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. You kind of authoritarian thinking is why the Founders feared and why they gave us a Constitution that allows you to say dumb crap.
“Frank Stetson … you comment about “the entire state of Florida” is bullcrap.”
I think you are referring to: “The entire State of Florida has banned free speech, free expression, and more. There’s lots of stuff you can’t say or do in public there. They even ban books.”
“Ron DeSantis’s Speech Policing Could Hurt the Right Too” *https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/11/ron-desantis-individual-freedom-act-free-speech/672211/*
The “Stop WOKE Act” restricts all sorts of speech.
“Florida’s social media free speech law has been blocked for likely violating free speech laws” *https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/recode/2021/7/1/22558980/florida-social-media-law-injunction-desantis*
Apparently, there’s lots of things you can’t say in Florida.
Book bans? You say there ain’t no Florida book bans?
“FLORIDA BOOK BANS: WHY ARE THERE EMPTY SHELVES IN FLORIDA SCHOOLS?” *HTTPS://PEN.ORG/FLORIDA-BOOK-BANS-EMPTY-SHELVES/*
Don’t you live in Florida? Did you miss what’s goin on?
My comment about this site relates to it being a private site making your comments moot since they are talking about public speech. JOE himself decides what is done on his site.
My take is set a common ground for debate with restrictions around hate speech, foul language, etc. with a clear, transparent set of rules. He could even establish an archive to keep the trash in case someone is into the stuff not allowed. For transparency purposes.
If you see that as censorship, then you need to study private versus public rights.
But in terms of Florida, my link posted about pretty clearly spell out how certain things just can not be said in Florida and, in some cases, due to the clusterfuck that is DeSanctimonious laws-by-crisis management, entire freaking libraries have been shuttered for fear of the speech-ban-police.
FYI: and then it appears this site now has “stealth speech” where Larry’s posts don’t appear on the table. Can’t even imagine what advantage that is. But seems to frequently happen.
What, do you think Joe has never banned anyone? Haven’t you noticed the missing names?
The only one ever banned was the guy who kept impersonating you (for that and other reasons). The only one.
Frank Stetson … You seem to be assuming that anyone who drops out of the comments is banned. I only know of one example of banning and it involved death threats. I cannot say that there have not been others, but I get copies of the submissions too my commentaries, and no one has been banned. On one hand you criticize Gilbertson for allowing offensive speech and then accuse him of be a super-censor. Gilbertson is like me, a First Amendment extremist. You have leveled all kinds of insults and criticism against him and the site, and you get everything you write uploaded. Now tell Gilbertson your sorry for making such a stupid comment.
Well, apparently Larry knows of another, and I know of another….it was me for calling Joe a thing that can not be said here, It was not Voldemort.
It really is not important; I have said before Joe is very accommodating when it comes to free speech, otherwise I would not be here and trust me, I have brought the roof down before on other sites where the right gets it wrong.
My issue is the opposite: Joe should set standards, transparently, and exercise penalties (time-outs to banishment depending on crime and repetition). One standard should be the bald faced lie, especially ones that can lead to physical harm. Example: people who suggested covid cures that kill, or people who suggested covid cures kill. After over 13,000,000,000 doses, I think we know it’s not the killer folks guarantee it is, still today. How many died listening to this lie? I understand questioning it in the beginning; I even hesitated on the bivalent due to lack of testing, but after billions in arms, it’s as safe as the nose on my face is plain. And if queasy about what you restrict, post it in the restricted section with your rationale.
I am a believer in free speech but have no issues with a private site issuing transparent guidelines to put the filth and lies where they belong.
There are restrictions on free speech, you know them. The only free speech on private sites is owner specified. Joe’s specifications lead to a crotch-grabbing half-time show not suitable for small children.
IMO, hard to say I’m wrong — it’s my opinion. And I do appreciate Joe’s FoS on this site, just would like to see a little pruning of lies that can cause physical harm, hate speak, and foul language (of which I would be in the penalty box myself). I think a fake-n-word has no place here for example. None.
Larry, I am guessing you had no comments on Florida’s restrictions on free speech or the book bans going on there. Thanks for that.
I did leave out DeSantctimonious’s attack on Disney. Disney’s crime: they used free speech to speak on his heinous “don’t say gay” policy which, by it’s moniker alone, sure sounds like a free speech constraint from the git-go. But — Meatball Ron, as the Trumper’s like to say, tried to shut down Disney’s rap by axing their special tax district status, a punitive action if ever there was one even if DeStupid shot himself in the foot and just hurt Floridian taxpayers (maybe he’s not Trump in a better suit…..). This month, to save face, Mr. Meatball had his captive legislature let King Ron decide who will sit on the Disney board governing the district. All tax breaks, perks, ability to issue tax-free bonds, and create it’s own development plans remian in place. It’s a win, DeScanctimonious style, the paper tiger strikes again! When the bill’s sponsor was asked what changed, he said: “That I can’t answer.” But he did Ron’s bidding anyway and they all voted to save Ron’s face. Conservatives elsewhere said: what a big loss, wtf.
But the point remains that Disney used free speech to comment on something Ron did not like and he tried to financially punish them in retaliation in order to cancel free speech.
That’s Florida, 2023.
Yeah, my original statement stands, glad you have no comments.
Frank Stetson … Because that is what happens with free speech. Offensive speech is protected by the Constitution. Bad as that may be, the alternative is worse. Once you start down the slippery slope and have government or anyone determine what can and cannot be said, you will wind up with political correctness speech — and the bans will become broader and deeper. You seem to want that world where only your opinions are allows. Frankly, I find what you say on occasion to be offensive, wrong and untrue. Should I disallow you attack my commentaries … me? You are so typical of the authoritarian left who thinks others should be silenced for being wrong or obnoxious. I responded to the offensive comment by John J– as has Tom. That is how it is done under a free speech system.
Between this and the paul pelosi bullshit you pulled, you have really found your place in the gutter recently. At least, take a step up to the curb with me :>)
I’ll sit with you in the curb anytime Frank ole buddy! By the way, are you referring to Joe Gilbertson? I am not understanding the Paul Pelosi BS comment.
Black history will become available to Americans only when the First Amendment of the Constitution, destroyed by liberals, triumphs in America.
Yes, it all the Democrats fault, they own it all, at least according to Larry. Well, add this to your school lessons:
Trump once asked Blacks: ”what have you to got to lose by voting for me” as his rationale to gain Black votes. After taking office he noted he was the best Black President ever, which, beyond the stupidity of the wording, is questionable.
On his first day, he replaced the Oval Office portrait of The Statue of Liberty with one of Andrew Jackson – need I say more? Because that’s the legacy of Trump Republicans: SPEAK LOUDLY but do very little. Talk a big game. Lie all the time. But Trump can’t persuade the populace. Trump cannot make law. He can’t pass law. He is legislatively impotent.
I mean really, where are the big acts, the big bills? No healthcare reforms. No wall except small sections he diverted defense spending to. He did cut taxes, but that’s his purview as are the EO’s. But EO’s are not legislation. He shut a lot of stuff down, especially everything Obama: Paris Accord, the CPP, taxes, he added tariffs raising our prices, wounded NATO with his rhetoric, and he tweaked/updated Clinton’s NAFTA mostly changing it’s name to make it his, a common Trump action.
Trump touted the lowest Black unemployment ever capitalizing on existing trends before he did nothing to change that, and when Black employment went on the skids from Covid he blamed the Chinese for his lack of defense of our nation. Plus, while Black employment was advancing, Blacks still had a much higher rate of unemployment than all other races under Trump (just like everyone else).
Trump’s “platinum plan” for lifting Blacks was two pages long (or short) offering a safe urban environment which seemingly ignores all suburban and rural Blacks.
Who can forget the Muslim Ban?
Under Trump, the Federal Communications Commission refused to defend critical components of its prison phone rate rules in federal court. These rules were so bad that they were ultimately struck down in less than six months later by the courts. It was low hanging civil-rights fruit and a slam dunk that Trump ducked instead.
His administration withdrew the goal of reducing and ending the department’s use of private prisons.
Trump rescinded current Title IX guidance clarifying protections under the law for transgender students.
Supported the Republican released proposal replacing the ACA with a law that would end the Medicaid program as we know it and defund Planned Parenthood.
He signed the First Step Act, that’s a bold policy statement which supports Blacks by removing some of the unfair legal treatments and freeing like 50 people in its first year. Obama did 1,900. By the end of his tenure, Trump had released 3,700 with about half again more that received sentence reductions, so a good thing for civil rights and Blacks who made up about 90% of the numbers.
Course he did bring back the Federal death penalty and you can guess who that affects most..
His PPP loan program favored whites since Blacks often did not have the banking relationships to make loans happen.
He claimed he saved HCBU’s when all he did was extend Obama’s historic achievement for HCBU funding.
He claimed he saved Black business via his Opportunity Zones but no one can prove that. Matter of fact, it looks like luxury apartments and hotels fared better.
Trump scrapped an Obama rule requiring localities to track patterns of segregation or lose federal funding.
HUD Secretary Ben Carson also finalized a new rule overhauling Obama’s 2013 “disparate impact” rule. The Trump rule requires plaintiffs to meet higher thresholds to prove unintentional discrimination — known as disparate impact — and gives defendants more leeway to rebut the claims. After all, there’s some good people in those disparate impacts.
Just a partial list, if one only looks, there is much more. Mostly it’s a pattern of destruction of existing protections; Trump seems incapable of creating new legislation to improve civil rights, or most things for that matter.
Larry claims it’s not Trump, it’s the Democrats. But Trumpism has happened before, after the civil war it was quite toasty for a while. Lincoln supporters, Republicans, had even created at the beginning of the Civil War, a new style of politicking: bold, loud, in your face braggadocio politics. The Republican party introduced the “Wide Awakes” clubs to America, ah yes, the first woke generation. This entailed large gangs of youthful partisans, all wearing dark, shimmering military-like uniforms, carrying flaming torches as they stormed through towns in rallying midnight marches. For the next 50 years, everyone was doing the massive rally with tens of thousands of “black shirts.” But everyone was there, old folk, young folk, and all the weapons of politics from the pencil to the pistol. After it all, one journalist quoted: “The real danger from democracy is that we will get drunk on it.”
Drunk politics has been with us almost from the beginning. It comes, it goes as showmen, zealots, and sheep rally round their flag holder de jour until they see the light or burn out from being too close to the sun. Ask the 850 Capitol storm troopers if they still believe, many just say they were lied to and believed rags like PBP. Ask many close to Trump, those who resigned, had careers ruined, or worse — spent some time in jail. It comes, it goes, as old as the Founders themselves.
But don’t be fooled. Democrats are not the only racists around here. And today, if you are a racist, overwhelmingly you vote Republican. Republicans enable racists. They embrace the policies and are actively attempting to take black studies out of the schools. Larry wants to blame the Democrats of the past while avoiding the current conversation.
Frank Stetson … Why do you always change the subject when you cannot respond to the commentary in an intelligent manner? Distraction? You would never make the debate team with that approach. Try to focus.