|
History is important as long as it is not ‘confining’ to today’s landscape. So is culture (for that matter); however, we all need to be cognizant that history continues to change, continues to be reinterpreted, and that culture/history is neither a good nor bad in and of itself. History and culture, while they can have many positive benefits, can also be constraining, as it often, subtlety, defines reality in ways that limit your ability to manipulate the world elements. Given the context of our history, it can have a negative impact in how we socially construct reality. More importantly, especially with black folk, someone that fails to act within that constricted norm, a norm created by people I might add, is often socially ostracized.
Black history, and its pedagogy, is no panacea for us. Often, because of the way it is taught, it can propagate negative images, stereotypes EVEN WHEN the teacher is well-intentioned. I don’t really know how to reconcile our troubled narrative and our even more troubled contemporary culture – if I did, I’d be rich; however, the notion that someone would want to balk at hearing our history is understandable. People can only take so much pain. Beyond that tipping point, people tend to tune out. It’s a survival mechanism.
There should be a way to teach our history as a pretext for liberation, but I just haven’t seen it. Furthermore, our current culture, in so many areas, is under such siege from the proliferation of negative pathologies (drug usage, STDs, the rise of gangs, the rampant approval of anti-intellectualism and so on) that it almost renders the notion of teaching history mute. Teaching history presupposes that you have a future. And frankly, in too many of our neighbors that future is dubious at best.
That’s just my $0.02.
Blueknowledge
|