Should African American history be taught in grade school just like Caucasian American history is taught?
In Texas, we did not learn much about African American history in school. It seemed it was deliberate in nature because teaching it would show Caucasian Americans in an unfavorable light.
Should African American history be embedded into school curriculums as they are as much a part of the history of America as Caucasians are?
Answers ( 1 )
The short answer is yes, African-American history should be embedded in American history. It's not going to be entirely equal because the population of black Americans has always been less numerous than Americans who trace ancestry back to Europe, and because slavery, Jim Crow, and educational levels and employment opportunities long restricted many African Americans from reaching the same goals as their white counterparts, but there are many stories that can and should be told.
Some brief examples of figures and events to consider that deepen our understanding of key events include:
George Washington employed a black slave as a spy during the Revolution, embedding him among British troops at Yorktown:
https://www.history.com/news/battle-of-yorktown-slave-spy-james-armistead
Napoleon sold the Lousiana Territory to Thomas Jefferson in large part because the loss of French Hispanola during the Haitian Revolution meant he could neither afford to protect the French claim to the Mississippi Basin. The sugar industry in Haiti accounted for nearly 25% of France's GDP on the eve of revolution and the success of the slave revolt crippled France's North American dreams.
Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and many others who resisted slavery and worked to end the horrific practice of human bondage deserve their places alongside white abolitionists and authors.
Jazz and the Blues, and later, Reggae and Rap revolutionized the music business and popular taste during their birth and continued growth. Various sports figures, business leaders, and revolutionaries all merit mention, so yes, the history of black Americans and other black artists, leaders, and figures of note should be integrated into the study of our shared past.
African American contributions to our nation's past are numerous and widespread and worthy of mention. My only critique is such accomplishments should be folded into lessons on broader topics, not treated as some sort of special show in February. Black Americans lived, fought, and died alongside fellow Americans of all shades and complexions and their successes, challenges, and struggles deserve to be seen as part of our nation's historical fabric, rather than a patch sewn on afterwards.