An Idiot’s Guide to Black History Month

[Steeltrap]

...sent by Mr. Thomas, the author of the article, himself. I've edited this to not include the critic's name:

Dear Ms. S______,
>
> I think you'd be surprised to know that we could not agree more.
>
> I think the confusion is the result of the tone I took. It is
>written
>as
> satire and its tone is sarcastic, even caustic. The position that
>I
>took was
> that one would have to be an idiot to truly believe the things
>that
>are
> written in the article, hence the title: An Idiot's Guide to Black
>History
> Month. Now, please don't misunderstand, I'm not calling you an
>idiot,
>but
> rather those who actually believe those things.
>
> I wrote this way, instead of straight-forwardly stating my
>grievances,
>because
> 1) I knew it would get read and what good is an opinion is no one
>hears
>it? 2)
> I wanted to produce the same response in the reader that the sign
>I
>mentioned
> in bookstore produced in me--outrage, shock, and anger leading to
>action.
>
> I have immense pride in my heritage and thank God everyday for
>giving
>me the
> lineage that He did. To see it so belittled so easily distressed
>me
>greatly.
>
> I think it's preposterous the derth of black actors in Hollywood,
>the
>number
> of books by blacks on the bestseller list, the number of blacks in
>Washington,
> running the country. Colin Powell, Oprah, Halle Berry--they're all
>used
>as
> examples of the achievement of the race, but it's really tokenism.
>People
> point to them as evidence of advancement, and though surely they
>wouldn't have
> gotten where they are without the support of their ancestors, it
>is a
>cop-out
> for America to forget about the need for unilateral equality
>simply
>because a
> few have broken through.
>
> Though I made absurd statements with hopes of making a point in
>the
>article,
> one thing I wrote is true: the bookstore did have a sign that
>said "From slave
> to scholar. African American History Month." As a black person, as
>a
>reader,
> as an American, I was incensed by this sign. It's an insulting and
> essentialist untruth to say that the entirety of our history boils
>down
>to the
> difference between Roots and Reading Rainbow. We are more than
>that;
>we've
> always been more than that and until we get beyond defining
>ourselves
>and
> being defined by oppression, we'll never truly be free, we'll
>always
>be
> ghettoized and tokenized and there will never be true
>understanding of
>black
> history, making the month a futile exercise for all involved.
>
> I hope I've cleared some things up for you. Please do feel free
>to e-
>mail me
> with any further comments, questions or concerns.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> R. Eric Thomas
>