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At my 7-year-old daughter's school, they recognize "black history month". I am very much opposed to this racist disintegration of history. Further, her February homeowrk project (they have monthly, "themed" homework assignments in addition to day-to-day stuff) is to do a book report on an "African American".

My problem is this: although I find it easy to understand how this is racist, I doubt that my 7-year-old would understand why it's not proper to select a topic based on the subject's skin color. She understands, in general terms, what's wrong with "racism" (we don't call it that), but I think understanding why "Black history month" is racist is too abstract.

So, my request for advice: should I just have her do the report on some unabjectionable black individual? Should we self-consciously choose a non-black subject of our book report, say Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson? Should I include a note to her teachers explaining why we don't approve of the racist implications of "Black history month", and let them decide what, if anything, to change?

The school is overall a good school, and the staff very capable, if not philosophically inclined -- this usually doesn't matter at this age, I figure. My point is, I want a solution that doesn't alienate the staff unnecessarily.

Any advice?

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At my 7-year-old daughter's school, they recognize "black history month". I am very much opposed to this racist disintegration of history. Further, her February homeowrk project (they have monthly, "themed" homework assignments in addition to day-to-day stuff) is to do a book report on an "African American".

I don't like the idea of Black History Month either. Being black is an accident of birth. But so, for that matter, is being an American. Learning about an individual who overcame barriers of ignorance and prejudice to become great could be a valuable lesson.

You may have to fight other, more important battles at your daughter's school. As for me, I would not choose to fight this one.

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I would complain to the administration. If it were a high school, I wouldn't worry about it, but kids that young shouldn't be indoctrinated to liberalism. However, I wouldn't violate the instructions by picking a non-black subject...all that will accomplish is to hurt your daughter's grades.

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You may have to fight other, more important battles at your daughter's school.  As for me, I would not choose to fight this one.

I would generally agree with Tom. Under the right circumstances however, I think this could be a worthwhile and productive intellectual battle, and an Objectivist is certainly better qualified for it than any conservative.

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Here is what I would do. I would encourage my child (if he were 7 again) to do a report on George Washington Carver. The man was and is an inspiration. He was self-supporting from a very early age. He had a great thirst for knowledge. He had a passion for his central purpose in life. He was peaceful, honest, and advocated rule by law. He expanded the realm of knowledge, especially about agricultural products.

He had to deal with racism most of his life (1864[?]-1943). He was born into circumstances so poor, even his year of birth is in question. But best of all, on the short-term, for you and your daughter, there is a lot of information available suitable for children, some even for first graders. I know because I spent many hours collecting little books for my grandson, and one category I looked for was objectively inspiring biographies. Most have some PC messages woven in, but the essentials of Carver's life, when presented well, are inspiring to all good people.

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You could do a report about a black person who is opposed to black history month, such as Thomas Sowell.

http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?id=1457

Edit: or even do a report about a black person who suceeded way before all the liberal government helper programs, and emphasize that they suceeded without them. Such as the architect Mr. Sowell mentions in the article.

Edited by IDC
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Burgess Laughlin's response above made me think of something which I want to here clarify: I am not opposed to learning about the history of black people in America (entailing, for example, slavery, discrimination, the civil rights movement, etc. -- although I think it is still not appropriate for 7-year-olds; I think a firm grounding in more general history should precede such specialization).

"Black history month", is not simply a focused discussion of the history of blacks in America... or, at least, that is not what it has become. The history has been de-emphasized, and the black has become emphasized. So, for example, Michael Jordan is seen as a legitimate topic of discussion of "black history" (I regard Michael Jordan, btw, as worthy of study in several categories, but none of them "history").

I guess that much of my objection, beyond the racist element of it, is the epistemological issue of segmenting history into a non-essential units. It's like studying the "history of people who were an odd number of inches tall" --there's no integrating idea, only superficial physiological similarities.

For now, I will take Burgess' suggestion regarding George Washington Carver. Also I will try to compose a brief letter to the faculty explaining why I object to the concept. If I fail to make the issue extremely clear (to an audience to whom this will be quite radical and novel), then I will not rock the boat for now. It's very frustrating, though.

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I guess that much of my objection, beyond the racist element of it, is the epistemological issue of segmenting history into a non-essential units. It's like studying the "history of people who were an odd number of inches tall" --there's no integrating idea, only superficial physiological similarities.

I agree with most of what has been said here about Black History Month, but not this. Earlier in the same post you named the integrating ideas: slavery, discrimination, the civil rights movement, etc. Nothing comparable would apply to people "an odd number of inches tall".

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Rex Little said:

I agree with most of what has been said here about Black History Month, but not this. Earlier in the same post you named the integrating ideas: slavery, discrimination, the civil rights movement, etc. Nothing comparable would apply to people "an odd number of inches tall".

I tried to make a distinction with the Michael Jordan example.

The history of black people in America, including slavery, civil rights, etc. would include a number of (in fact, a majority of) white people, such as the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, abolitionist activists/writers, etc. The subject would not properly include Michael Jordan or Spike Lee or Al Roker, simply by virtue of their dermal melanin. But to these (and most, that I know of) teachers, blackness per se is the primary consideration.

(...of African descent, of course. I wonder what the teachers would say if the book report were on Srinivas Rumanujan, the great indian mathematician, who, from pictures I've seen, looked quite a bit darker than, say, Jesse Jackson).

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