African American Beauty

[Anonymous]

I think people often forget that history is told through the eyes of those writing it down in our history books, and not necessarily by the people who lived through those times. I think a lot of African American's feel this difference when it comes to history because for many many reasons, their history was suppressed and often told through the lens that was not their own. It is rare that you find a history book that talks about African American's as anything other then slaves or fighting for Civil Rights. You rarely hear about the many innovators, creators, war heroes, doctors, and educators who both lived ordinary and extraordinary lives and helped shape and change our world.

As a result, in not just African American history alone, but world history, you tend to get this very narrow view of how "the other side" lived. From looking through history books that have dealt with African American's in any way:

It begs the question: what do people believe African Americans did before and between Slavery and Civil rights?

There isn't much information both visual or written being spread about the in between periods. Not every African American was dirt poor or uneducated or a criminal as the history books often seem to present them to be before modern times.

It's easiest to just focus on the bad all the time and for that to become the story you have in your head about "the other side." It's easy to point to one person and hold them up as an example for how everyone supposedly acts or thinks, but that's a clouded if not delusional way to think about an entire group of people by anyone. Though people may look the same, as in a similar skin color or hair texture, there is just so much diversity within a group. People should explore that diversity within that group instead of just listening to what people say a group is or just slapping on stereotypes and labels they think apply to all. You don't have to pretend to be colorblind to both celebrate ones similarities and differences.

As Black History month comes to an end, there are still those that argue that it or any similar months, should not be relevant anymore, but I think it's quite the opposite because often times so little is known by not just African American's themselves, but by so many others too about African American's or African American history outside of the likes of the general slavery story or the MLK's, Malcom X's, and Rosa Parks. If we are to live in a world where it's "our" history as opposed to their own, or their own, one must first know what all is involved in the true story of "our" history and not just select bits that pertain to only one or a few groups of people or a specific narrative that has been hammered in as the only story that exists for an entire race of people.

[hellionthesagereborn]

The reason history doesn't focus on African americans is not because its forgotten or perspective, its because it focuses on events not people. Tell me what the everyday layman was doing during that time frame? Tell me what white people where doing? You can't because that's not what history is about. its about the events, the big things that get recorded, also in those inbetween periods they where making music writing creating poetry, trying to make ends meet, working in factories and farms plying there trade, just like every one else. they also, prior to democrats creating segregation where running for office and being governors and representatives in the federal and state government (first black governor was in 1880s. The first black US Marshal was within two years of the end of slavery). We don't need black history month because all history matters, not just some peoples and history itself is about moments in time the big ones that affected how society moved forward, that's why you don't hear about whites in history you just hear history. I don't know why so many blacks think that history is some how white washed when in fact its just again, a few moments in time that happened to have huge impacts (hence George Washington Carver being taught in school it had an impact on society and how we functioned).

[myTake Owner]

How many times are black persons told to stop focusing so much on slavery? Or about schools who tried to literally erase even the slave narrative out of their history books because apparently it was too difficult to teach (but not the Holocaust or any other genocide). This didn't happen 50 years ago, this happened a few years ago. Blacks are taught about slavery and Civil Rights, and not anything pertaining to their rich History of being Kings and Queens in Africa OR the many black inventors who have changed the world in "big events" as you say. If not Black History Month, no history book I ever was taught from mentioned any of that growing up. I didn't learn anything about Black History until I had the "privilege" of attending an international summer camp which actually taught us about the history of cultures round the world.

[myTake Owner]

These cultural months are important to so many different people because they do get to understand their own history, their real history AND they also get to relay that to other people who when exposed to that story begin to understand them more as people. I cannot tell you how invaluable it is as a person of this world, to learn about other cultures and other histories, yes, "other" histories. We didn't all grow up in the one castle or the one hut or the one house. We have so many issues now because people don't know a think about one another except the color of their skin and you cannot deny that exposure to different people, ideas, histories, helps open people's minds to their understanding of individuals and cultures outside their own.

Why do you feel it's important to tell anyone anywhere to stop learning about themselves or others in any capacity which is what these months help provide for anyone wanting to learn? "Our history" needs to be told through many lenses, not just one.

[hellionthesagereborn]

Well when you focus on slavery instead of everything else, yeah you need to take a step back. Especially when that focus is so all consuming that you talk about it as if you have experienced it even though it was abolished well over a hundred years ago.(1865 to be exact, at least in America) Then couple that with the fact that the focus on slavery is entirely one sided, like how its completely omitted that the first slave owner in America was Anthony Johnson who was from angola i. e. a black man who owned a succesfull plantation no less, or how 48% of all free blacks owned slaves as opposed to only 1% of whites, or how half of the white population was against slavery rather then the currently taught all whites excepted it which is of course wrong, or how the African slave trade was started by Africans, thousands of years before whites even got involved and lasted a hundred years after whites abolished slavery (largely due to western influences), then yes one should stop

[hellionthesagereborn]

talking about it as its not something that is relevant and is not discussed to simply show history but rather its designed quite specifically to create as much devision as possible, to instill as much guilt as possible hence the complete erasure of blacks involvement in slavery as well as the fact that whites where also slaves (in fact the term slave is derived from the term Slavic i. e. a group of white people who where enslaved so often that there very name became the term for forced servitude) and also where the last one involved in slavery and the first ones out even before blacks and Africans themselves where. So, yeah, its not talking about slavery that is the issue its the reason why blacks talk about it. As for schools not teaching about slavery, when the hell did that happen? The answer is never. Its crammed down students throats year after year. What your saying is not true, it was never ignored within either of our life times, or our parents and our parents parents.

[hellionthesagereborn]

As for being queens and kings in Africa, no you where not. There where black queens and kings but they where far and few inbetween, that's like teaching irish americans that they use to be kings and queens (which has never happened for them or any other white group), no, in all probability you (and most every one else) came from a long line of farmers and laborers. Now do we focus mostly on Europe and America? Sure, but why? Because that's the history that has had the most impact on our culture, political systems, history and by extention society. That's also why we don't teach about Asians being kings and queens, because that's not what influenced us. As for inventors, okay, tell me about Michael Faraday, since he gets talked about so much being one of the most influencial scientist and inventors in our history who was also white. GO on. How about Nicoli Tesla, he gets a lot of time dedicated to him right? Or how about Johnas salk who invented the polio vaccine?

[hellionthesagereborn]

But go on you tell me about these big time inventors who invented so much (again like Jonas Salk who invented the Polio vaccine and then on top of that didn't even patent it making sure it was so cheap that polio is now unheard of)? They teach you Fredrick douglas, they teach you about George Washington Carver (yet ignore the fact that he was a black man adopted by white people (even though its always presented as if all whites where racist, again completely untrue) both of which had some impact on society, lots of people have been lost to history, people who have made monumental changes to society, that does happen but that happens to every one. Why don't we have a Irish history month? The irish where enslaved, they where treated as bad as blacks, why don't they get a history month? Hell they don't even talk about them being slaves, or persecuted, so why just blacks?

[hellionthesagereborn]

The reason is if we did that, if we actually taught history unbiased you wouldn't have anything to complain about, there would be no white guilt, there would be no black pity (honestly we are living in an age that has recreated the "white mans burden" only this time its blacks and minorities pushing it.) we would all have to acknowledge that our ancestors where all shitty people, and some of them where great people instead of looking at everything from a victim lens, instead of creating division and self created segregation. As for studying other cultures, thanks for the tip, I have been studying them my entire life, long before you and unlike what your saying I have actually studied there unbiased history (why do you think I know so much about black slavery, more so then you clearly?) how every culture in the world had slaves, started wars raped and murdered. How every society strived for peace and the betterment of man.

[hellionthesagereborn]

The fact is the only people thinking about the color of anothers skin are blacks. That's why you say its important to have a black history month instead of acknowledging that all history is important, instead of acknowledging the context of which history is learned i. e. the history of blacks is taught in America when it affected America, we don't learn about Africa, or Russia or china or japan or south America unless it had some kind of relevance to America. We learn about European history because so much of there culture and history and philosophies and political ideas influenced us. Why don't we learn about Ireland? Because it didn't have as much impact on America as other groups. Its not because of white (because again by that reasoning we would have a lot more history to talk about) or black but relevance. You want to create a black and white lens for history and that is not how history works, that is not how the truth works.

[hellionthesagereborn]

In all of this did you ever acknowledge blacks/Africans significant role in slavery? No. In all of this did you ever acknowledge the significant role whites played in abolishing slavery?(Republicans fought for decades against it, each time a territory was up for statehood it became a battle ground to determine whether or not it would be a democrat slave state or a republican free state) No. Why is that? Why ignore those details if you believe history is so important? I acknowledge all of history not just the parts that will make me feel good or give me some kind of social leverage or excuse. I never said history should stop being learned, not once, why would you claim that I did? " "Our history" needs to be told through many lenses, not just one. " Yet that is precisely what your trying to do, teach one view of history, blacks victims whites evil, blacks good, whites bad. That is the lens you use the narrative pushed. I am saying that we are all the same, good and bad.

[hellionthesagereborn]

If you teach history you teach history, not a story not a bullshit narrative with cherry picked information, all of history. That's the problem, black history month doesn't do that and attempts to undermine whites, you have made us a monolith, you are saying history caters to us as if it treats us better when it clearly doesn't, you say that it unfairly underrepresents blacks when in fact by your reasoning it unfairly represents most every one. its just another way of trying to justify a victim mentality to try and create guilt in whites. You want to teach something teach the truth, not lies.

[myTake Owner]

Why are you seemingly taking this personally? Black history is a part of history and it's a good thing to educate blacks and others on that topic, good AND bad, but the whole point is the bad is generally what is taught about blacks in "our" history books. You have people actually claiming blacks never contributed anything to the advancement of our society... seriously... this is why we educate.

To quote myself here: "people often forget that history is told through the eyes of those writing it down in our history books, and not necessarily by the people who lived through those times." Is that just about blacks, no. And again I'll quote myself: "As a result, in not just African American history alone, but world history, you tend to get this very narrow view of how "the other side" lived." Hello, are you not included in both those statements? Do you not live in this world?

[myTake Owner]

If you don't want to hear about African American history or have special months, do what other people do, and ignore it. Realize that it's not for you then, but it is for those who do want to learn more and they should have fair and equal access to the knowledge about themselves or others in an attempt to get a clearer picture of the whole story from beginning to now. Okay, cool.

[hellionthesagereborn]

At which point did I take it personally? You said it has value I said it didn't, you made some claim that its being repressed, I told you that this is factually incorrect (which we both know is true). You claimed we should know history and understand other cultures but proceeded to spout outright lies about what historically happened (which I pointed out with many many examples) and then tried to follow it up with a half ass attempt at an emotional appeal about needing to understand other cultures even as you try and portray one group of people and there culture as evil and bad and another as entirely innocent and good despite again, ample evidence showing the exact opposite that is that both had equal parts good and bad. You then proceeded to push this narrative that evil whites are suppressing information about black history even though as I pointed out that this was not the case unless we believe they are suppressing there own history as well.

[hellionthesagereborn]

You then tried to claim some kind of victim hood while implying that it was white peoples fault even though its not true (as I pointed out) and as I pointed out your black and white world view is entirely fabricated and whites where the ones trying to stop slavery just as much as any one else and blacks where trying to maintain it (hence African kings being upset when the British and America made slavery illegal). That both sides had good and bad and that we are not monoliths as you and every other advocate for "black history" claim.(ironic since at no point in time did you actually do any research of your history or you would have known this and the things I pointed out to you). You then proceeded to tell a man who has studied culture and belief structures around the world since he was in elementary school that he needed to be more open to other cultures, at which point I pointed out that I was which is why I am against your one sided unfair representation of history and culture.

[hellionthesagereborn]

So, I am not taking it personally, I am however adamantly against lying and untruths which you have been spouting. As for black contribution, the fact is blacks have contributed very little. Look around you and you will see the inventions of many many people few of which are actually black. Have blacks invented things? Yes. Have they been important? Yes. Has it been to the extent of other groups? No. Ergo fewer inventions means fewer people representing inventors, its that simple. Its kind of like claiming that tv shows are racist because they don't have enough black people in them, the fact is blacks make up 12.5% of the population vs. the 63% whites, so obviously they are going to represent a smaller group and thus be less influential and less common. As for why so few inventions where done by blacks, that can be argued but what can't be is that they where not common especially comparative to all other groups in the west.

[hellionthesagereborn]

To preempt you, no its not racial its cultural and regional, fewer interactions with other groups means fewer ideas being spread around, if things are functioning just so then they tend to continue down that path unless there is something that forces a change (Europe had a lot of strife and a lot of conflicts as well as environmental factors which most of Africa did not have). As for you quoting yourself, context matters. You where not advocating for a irish history month or Serbian history month or any other white group where you? No, you where stating black history month and black history month alone ergo your quote no matter how you try to spin it was within those context exclusively focused on blacks, specifically that blacks history was being ignored and no one elses. As for your last statement, I just showed you that I have better knowledge of black history then you do, I even have better knowledge of Chinese history then you do so stop playing victim.

[hellionthesagereborn]

Did you know about Anthony Johnson? No. Did you know about how the atlantic slave trade was abolished in 1808 in an attempt to stop slavery? No. Did you know about how the republicans frequently used jury nullification to free slaves and penslvania routinely freed slaves that came through there state as they had always had it illegal to own slaves? No. Did you know that the KKK, the democrats secret weapon killed white republicans because they where anti slavery? No. Did you know Madam C. J. Walker was the first black millionaire after creating a makeup line using black governesses and servants as her first "door to door" sales (wo) men? No. Did you know about Bass reed a runaway slave becoming the first black US Marshall only a few years (as I briefly mentioned before) after the abolishment of slavery? No. Did you know about George Washington carver being adopted by white people? No. Did you know that most whites where against slavery but since only the rich could vote they couldn't

[hellionthesagereborn]

do anything about it?(mainly because one, it was immoral, two it was against there religion (the reason why the quakers made it illegal in pensylvania) three because it meant the loss of work as the poor could not compete with slaves who where paid nothing, four because once a month men would be forcibly conscripted into night watches to hunt down escaped slaves) No. So how exactly do I not know about black history in the Americas? As I said I know far more then you, that's why I have a problem with you lying about history and using it as a weapon to justify a victim mentality that will only succeed in segregating people further. As for that information its freely available, its you and people like you that hide it not me.

[menina]

Thank you so much for sharing this! I'm really interested in learning more about African Americans.
And it's sad to know that people only remember what's bad about a group of people.
These pictures are impressive. It's funny how I never met the people who appear on them, but yet they look so familiar to me.

[myTake Owner]

You're welcome. I personally love learning about all types of people and cultures around the world. When you can really get to know someone for who they are and get to know a bit about their culture, they become what we all are, human. You stop generalizing, you become informed, you actually learn what makes their culture special, and then in turn you can share with others and hopefully open their eyes too.

[menina]

I absolutely agree with you! That's why we all should learn and try to get to know other cultures. We become better and smarter people.
That's why there's so many racist and xenophobic people around the world, because they don't put an effort in trying to understand people who are "different" from them.

[myTake Owner]

And I absolutely agree with you too. Thank you so much for your comments.

[menina]

You're welcome. It's nice to share these thoughts with someone who thinks like me.

[MlleCake]

I like all the photos you shared. African-Americans are regular people who have done all the things regular people do - work, raise families, make music, art, literature, become doctors and scientists, lawyers, judges, serve in the military, I mean - like pretty much everything, and a lot of African-Americans have made major contributions to society. I don't claim to know a lot, but I know that much. And yes, the stories of women, the poor, and people of color is often missing in our stories of history.

[JDavid25]

Well, this mytake was great.. Once I learned about what schools leave out of history books, my eyes were opened.. Even many "African" Americans don't know about our own history..

[SovereignessofVamps]

It's a shame, how little they show in schools or on the news, about different sides of history. Thanks for posting.

[deraz24]

I love it, especially seeing us in a positive light

[vishna]

Wow:) Great MyTake, loved seeing style and history from a different perspective.

[Stone_Fizzlebeef]

I disagree. The history is there if you look. Libraries, book stores, this awesome thing called the internet. You just need the interest. Unfortunately, not many people consider history an interesting subject beyond what they learn in ever increasingly shitty public school.

[foodfairywins]

Thanks for sharing. These pics brought a smile to my face

[myTake Owner]

You're welcome. Keep smiling :)

[OrionH]

Thank you I thought I was going to be the only one that posted mytake about African Americans I did two of them

[myTake Owner]

I'll have to go check those out.

[BellePepper]

You just know some of these have to have super cool stories behind them

[Anonymous]

Honestly we were doing better understanding segregation in the 50's than we did under Obama.

[itsallover]

Oh my gosh 😍

[Anonymous]

I actually liked the photos

[Anonymous]

True and nicely written

[myTake Owner]

thanks

[Anonymous]

Lot of photos