Why, ¿por qué? , 为什么, am I doing this???

This site is being launched to promote and receive feedback on the "booklet" titled, "What The WORLD Should Know About... Black History In The USA." It will soon be available as an eBook on Amazon/Kindle, then printed for use in schools and display on your coffee table. Now, here's why I wrote the booklet... and how I hope your feedback grows into an open and honest exchange about ANYTHING you wish to discuss. I am interested in virtually everything; especially, the social, political, economic, religious, and environmental issues that threaten our very existence today!

Ok, our starting point; "The Booklet." Following the infamous "race riots" that swept across the U.S. in the 1960's, there was great pressure by Black leaders to more effectively "integrate" the experiences and, especially, the accomplishments of Black people in U.S. history courses. Up until then we learned that Africans were brought to the the U.S. as slaves, later emancipated during the Civil War, and a few of them achieved important things - Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver - neither of whom was (admittedly) related to the more famous Washington who was the first U.S. President!

Aside from that, what THE WORLD seemed to learn about Blacks in the U.S. was based on observation; for the most part, we lived in slums in cities, shacks in rural areas, and worked in low-level jobs. The men as laborers, the women as maids-nannies. In the late 1940's professional sports were "integrated" and more Blacks were becoming successful entertainers - "high profile success!" Thus many people everywhere knew little about the "reality" of being Black in the U.S. Then... the riots of the '60's... and the whole world began to wonder; was it true that African-Americans achieved "on average" much less than Whites because they are intellectually inferior and lazy... Or was there more to the story?

So, in 1969, in response to complaints by many educators citing a great lack of educational materials for use in the teaching of Black history, I wrote a brief little 19-page booklet, more-or-less "summarizing" SOME of the Black people, events, issues, AND accomplishments that chould be included in school text-books on U.S. history. I was an account executive for one of the world's largest Black-owned public relations firms at the time, the booklet was written for and widely distributed to schools by a client company... and I thought, naively... "Well, that's a great start!," and just assumed that U.S. public school history books would steadily integrate the "role" of African-Americans in the development of this country. That was over 40 years ago!!!

Recently, I was talking with some young Black junior and senior high school students and was shocked by how little they know about Black History in general. These kids happen to attend up-scale suburban schools, yet said "Black History Month" is about the only time the subject comes up, that there's still very little relevant content in their history books. Now, there are some political AND practical reasons, I think, for this. And we can discuss them. But, being that African-Americans are the ONLY people - in a Nation of Immigrants - who were captured, chained,  and brought here NOT seeking the American Dream, but to provide free labor for those who could afford slaves - should not that fact, that difference, be acknowledged, discussed, and the effects analyzed?

I have updated and revised the booklet. When it is available, please read "What The WORLD Should Know About... Black History In The USA." I believe you will see how anybody, educators especially, will find ideas for lessons, projects, further research, and amazing "tidbits" for teaching students of ALL ages about the Black experience in this great country. The "Booklet" will be only about 20 pages (in hard-copy) WITH a large portion of photos/images. It will first be introduced for a few dollars on Amazon/Kindle. Then a fundraising campaign is planned for "KickStarter.com" where contributors can name schools or other institutions that will receive the printed booklet(s).

The booklet, again, is designed as a "starting point" for learning. Please read the section below, then tell us what YOU think about just that passage?
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FOREWORD

"You Been Set Free" "When freedom came, my mama said Old Master called all of 'em to his house, and he said, you all free, we ain't got nothing to do with you no more. Go on away. We don't whop you no more, go on your way.' My mama said they go on off, then they come back and stand around, just looking at him and Old Mistress. They give 'em something to eat and he say, 'Go on away, you don't belong to us no more. You been freed.' They go away and they kept coming back. They didn't have no place to go and nothing to eat. From what she said, they had a terrible time. She said it was bad times. Some took sick and had no 'tention and died. Seemed like it was four or five years before they got to places they could live. They all got scattered . . Old Master every time they go back say, You all go on away. You been set free. You have to look out for yourselves now.'

— An ex-slave's account in
Lay My Burden Down: A Folk
History of Slavery, Ben Botkin, 1945

Now... put yourself in THEIR position and tell us how you might have felt as one of those newly FREE people? Please... just THINK about it... then share your thoughts. 

Thank you!

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