School Librarian in Trouble for Black History Lesson

Tit for Tat
If this game is “historical tit for tat”, then accuracy requires this librarian to separate the black children among themselves. The South’s peculiar institution made a nice livelihood for many black Africans in the old country.

As for “we”, I am curious who this is. Specifically of course. As a third generation German am I “we”? My four year old daughter? What about my third generation Italian friend? Or my reference librarian whose mother is German and father is Pakistani?

To my ears this careless labeling is the same fodder used by those who perpetrate segregation.

Re:Tit for Tat
Jeanie – I wish your reply was sprinkled with a little sarcasm, condescension or plain ole meanness. Unfortunately, for me, you have given a thoughtful answer. Rats! Anger is a wonderful motivator.

Seriously. I understand your position. To deny our (U.S) sad history of institutional and cultural prejudice is shameful. To ignore history is to repeat it. You and I are in full agreement here.

“White� is nebulous term. It troubles me as does “black�, “brown�, “yellow�, “red�, and “Jew�. “We don’t define “white� but like pornography, we seem to know it when we see it. But like pornography, there is more (or less) of white than meets the eye. At least the art folks tell us this.

Compartmentalizing “races� may have been possible long ago. Maybe. But how many of us really know our lineage well enough to say “I’m white�? (of course this would require that definition I spoke of earlier. Western European, Eastern European, Slavic, Turk, Romanian, Greek, Croat, Serb, etc.) The same for “black� folks. History tells us that many slave masters took slaves for mistresses. Jefferson comes to mind. Even the recent story about Strom Thurmond’s daughter serves to demonstrate that our perception of race reality isn’t always true. We truly are a melting pot, culturally and racially.

I don’t deny that “sisters� at Starbucks are given the same treatment as some “white� kids are given in urban schools or “yellow� kids are given in rural schools, etc.. That’s ignorance. You and I agree on that as well.

It is also ignorance, IMHO, to paint a new, complicated world to a class of bright eyed 9 year olds as being neatly divisible by black and white. Aren’t we trying to get pass this sort of thinking? Furthermore, can we expect these kids to understand the lesson here? I don’t doubt this librarian’s motives. A black colleague of mine who teaches sociology here at our college concurs with me. Her motives were commendable but her means deplorable. There are many other ways to demonstrate prejudice; gender, wealth, intelligence, two-parent v. single-parent families, etc..

“White� and “black� are convenient labels, but are fast becoming obsolete. I resent being called “white� as much as I would resent being called “black�. I’m neither. As you are probably neither as well Jeanie. The caramel color models you mention are “caramel� because they have other lineages. Neither can someone choose their color “black� or “white� if they are mixed (which many American are). Our hues are many.

Wrapping up I don’t believe in the passing on of institutional guilt. Ignoring past injustice, no way, but putting the burden of “make-up� upon innocent generations is just a wrong. I would also contend that those divisions you mention about black folks (I assume my reference to African slave traders?) being attributable to white folks is not completely accurate. Much of that business was begun by folks in the Middle East during the spice trade. Hence, the complicated issue of determining who owes who historically. It simply cannot be done.

Are we more than black, white, red, yellow, brown, we and them……I hope so.