My wife and I have 18 month-old son named Ivan. He is very concerned that parents do right by their children (he is especially worried about my parenting skills). Ivan has decided to help out new parents by issuing a regular newsletter called:#Team Ivan’s: News From The Crib (#91) – Black History Month.
1. My husband and I are an interracial couple, and we have an 18-month old biracial son. Do you have suggestions about how to teach him about Black History in America? Yes, show him footage of the Republican National Convention from this past Summer and explain to him that that’s how America under Jim Crow looked.
2. Is there a role for my husband (who is White) during commemorations of Black History Month? Well, if you’re into irony, you should have your husband sit in the back, use a different bathroom, and carry the bags.
3. Are there any good educational materials that we can use to teach our son about Black history? Yes, there are many. However, none are in the curriculum of your local high school, because history as taught in this country is: founding fathers; Civil War; WWI, WWII; President Kennedy’s assassination; a mention of Vietnam and Watergate and then TMZ and intensive close-up coverage of the doings of the Kardashians.
4. So, where do we find books about Black history in America? Check Amazon.com under the heading “We’re getting the shaft again??” There you will find a plethora of books about Black history, the women’s equality movement and my father’s memoirs “Complaining and Kvetching Your Way Through Life.”
5. Speaking of Black History, who had it worse, Black Americans or Native Americans? Put it this way, would you rather get run over by a red car or a black car. Point is, in both instances, you’re flat on the pavement with no idea what happened. So, why quibble about what color the car was or whether the White guy at the wheel veered out of his way to hit you. (By the way, he didn’t, or, at least, you can’t prove he did in a court of law).
6. Is racism still a problem in America? Well, racists will tell you that they’re not having any problems whatsoever. If anything, political correctness has challenged them to up their game and come up with much more creative ways to be racist but less obviously so. On the other hand, if the fact that you were able to vote is miraculous because you had to leap over the alligator-infested moat built by the local GOP or you’re waiting outside in the cold for a cab for three hours or some security guard is following you around The Gap, and not just because he thinks you’re attractive, then I think you’d say racism still is a bit of a problem.
7. Do White people celebrate Black History Month? Put it this way, the number of White people who know that February is Black History Month is about the same as the number of husbands who know when their wife’s period is.
8. From what point in history does Black American history date? After much research, historians have determined that Black-American history officially started when a White guy turned to an African on the Western coast of Africa and said, “Hey, would you like to come aboard and take a look at my boat.”
9. How is that February was chosen as the month in which to celebrate Black History month? Popular legend has it that February was chosen as yet another affront to Black people because it’s the shortest month of the year. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that every leap year there are a bunch of White people who look like their heads are going to explode on February 29.
10. Because our son is Biracial, we’re worried that he won’t know how to feel during Black History Month. What should we do? Just have him call the President. He’ll give him some tips.
