#1544 Block History Month: The Campaign to Erase Uncomfortable Truths About Black History
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 18 February 2023
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 2/17/2023
Today, we take a look at the importance of teaching a full and unflinching version of Black history and why the campaign to block it is reaching a peak at this moment in time.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: The fight over AP African American Studies - Today, Explained - Air Date 2-7-23
The College Board piloted an AP course on African American Studies. Then, after conservative pushback, it debuted a revised curriculum. But the group insists it’s not caving to political pressure.
Ch. 2: How Florida’s School Censorship Spreads - What Next - Air Date 2-9-23
Governor Ron DeSantis canceling the rollout of AP African-American Studies course in Florida is more than just another salvo in the culture war. It has implications across public education, across the country—and its chilling effect is already evident.
Ch. 3: Erasing History - Counter Stories - Air Date 6-4-21
On this episode, we tackle how new efforts aim to limit or erase important history and context. From bodies discovered in a former Indian Boarding school in Canada to new legislation banning Critical Race theory
Ch. 4: Combating Anti-History - Latino Rebels Radio - Air Date 2-9-23
While the fight for African American studies continues in Florida, Sean Arce draws parallels to the current battle with Arizona's ethnic studies battle over a decade ago.
In response to a recent post on my Instagram account, I’m talking about going beyond teaching children about slavery, racism, oppression, and struggle during Black History Month or anytime of the year.
“I take it as a sign of strength for where the movement is right now,” says Ta-Nehisi Coates on anti-CRT policies and the backlash from the right. “It doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous—but it’s also a statement of how threatened they feel..."
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 7: The Movement to Erase Black History and Culture - At Liberty - Air Date 2-3-22
February marks Black History Month, a time to recognize the significant achievements and culture of Black Americans–from bell hooks to Beyonce–and also to honor an accurate history about them, a history that we know is rife with discrimination and abuse
Ch. 8: Why Our Idea of History is a Poison - Then & Now - Air Date 12-1-22
Why Our Idea of History is a Poison
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 9: Final comments on the Streisand Effect
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
SHOW IMAGE:
Description: On a black background, scattered historic images of famous Black Americans, including Sojourner Truth, Thurgood Marshall, and Josiah Thomas Walls, as well as images of slavery, the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement. The shape of Florida is centered and filled in with part of the Florida state flag (including red crossed bars of the Confederate flag). A black horizontal banner in forefront reads “Black History is American History”.
Credit: Composite designed by Amanda Hoffman. Historic images are in the public domain, except for the Negro League patch (credit: David, Flickr, License) and the Navy Band sign (Gerry Dincher, Flickr, License)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of Left Podcast in which we shall take |
| 0:07.1 | a look at the importance of teaching a full and unflinching version of Black History |
| 0:13.0 | and why the campaign to block it is reaching a peak at this moment in time. |
| 0:18.1 | Clips today are from today explained what next, counter stories, Latino Rebels radio, |
| 0:25.2 | we read and all in with Chris Hayes with additional members only clips from At Liberty and |
| 0:31.6 | then and now. |
| 0:39.5 | I'm a teacher in a coach in Oakland and I have been a teacher in a coach for the last 42 |
| 0:44.5 | years. |
| 0:45.5 | I've taught economics and foreign policy, I've taught rise of black nationalism, Caribbean |
| 0:50.6 | coffee, cane and culture, African American studies and currently I'm teaching advanced |
| 0:55.8 | placement African American studies. |
| 0:58.8 | Mr. Green, Tony is one of 60 teachers in the United States who taught the pilot version |
| 1:03.1 | of the AP African American studies course. |
| 1:05.5 | I asked him why teaching an AP course on African American studies is important to him. |
| 1:10.4 | When I first started my formal education I went to a school in a housing project in |
| 1:15.1 | Valet, called Flosden Elementary School and it was in the Floyd Terrace Housing Project. |
| 1:21.1 | At that point history was taught to us by very young teenage Black Panthers. |
| 1:27.2 | It was at the start of their Black Panther breakfast program and about 1968 I would say. |
| 1:35.7 | And growing up the housing project at my school was in half of it burned down in the 1968 |
| 1:43.4 | Riverbellians that happened after Martin Luther King's assassination. |
| 1:47.5 | So my parents took me out of that school and they moved me across town to an all white |
| 1:53.1 | school. |
... |
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