# All Americans need education in Black studies **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 27, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888 "2023-01-27T13:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/1 "2023-01-27T13:53:47Z")
Racism is the old evil, the source of the cancer eating away at America and threatening our democracy. Ignorance of white privilege allows racism to continue unchecked. To defeat racism, the general ignorance around race issues needs to be swept away by knowledge, by learning. This is why a course in Black studies should be required in all schools. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/2 "2023-01-27T14:03:24Z")
Agreed. This is very important for anyone growing up in American society. There are a lot of things that Americans are too uneducated about, but this is the thing that affects all of us most extremely and directly. (I’d also, of course, be in favor of socio-cultural studies of all kinds: Native Americans, immigrants, sexuality, and at least a smattering of studies of the rest of the world, too. Americans in general are too ignorant of how our fellow humans experience life.) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/3 "2023-01-27T14:05:45Z")
My intent for this thread is to keep a laser focus on Black studies. Because, as you said, _this is the thing that affects all of us most extremely and directly_. Well put. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/4 "2023-01-27T14:07:08Z")
Agreed. I made that a parenthetical and I hope it doesn’t derail your intent. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/5 "2023-01-27T14:07:57Z")
Yep, we’re clear on that. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/6 "2023-01-27T14:12:29Z")
I don’t dispute that such a course would be good, but to focus it primarily on “black studies” will inevitably bring up the “well, what about the Hispanics, what about the native Americans, etc. why don’t they get their own class.” It would be better to describe it as a “class that covers all races” but puts particular focus on the black-American plight. And the more it takes a tone of “you MUST learn about us” the more it is going to lead to backlash and poison the well on what might have been an otherwise good topic. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/7 "2023-01-27T14:15:32Z")
No scattering of focus. Specifically _**[Black studies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_studies)**_. More specifically, Black American history and culture. It’s the most urgent need right now. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/8 "2023-01-27T14:16:17Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > This is why a course in Black studies should be required in all schools. Why not Asian studies? Native American studies? Irish studies? Jewish studies? Hispanic studies? (to name a few) ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/9 "2023-01-27T14:16:43Z")
I think a required course in African American studies is a bit much for high school. Politically, it’s a no go, we have a hard enough time just getting a more accurate representation of history in schools today without making this a required course. I think you’d be much more likely to better integrate black history in our current American history as well as English/Literature courses. Offering an African American studies course as an optional history credit seems like a capital idea to me though. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/10 "2023-01-27T14:20:53Z")
I’m going to endeavor to disagree without derailing the thread. Scratch a homophobe and you’ll find a racist. IMHO and IME, bigotry is fairly binary: you’re either a bigot or you aren’t. Maybe it’s nothing more than self-serving, but I never seem to encounter somebody whose only ‘problem’ is with African-Americans. Dig a little deeper and no “other” is spared. Oh, they may have their favorite group to hate, but it so often just tends to be shades of grey [NPI] from there, on. So I’d be in favor of something required that tries to use the best available data and understanding to try to prevent the tangling of that particular irrational Gordian knot as early as possible. > [@](#): > > You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late > Before you are six or seven or eight > To hate all the people your relatives hate > You’ve got to be carefully taught [**SOURCE**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27ve_Got_to_Be_Carefully_Taught) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/11 "2023-01-27T14:20:54Z")
Because of people like you not knowing that such and such thing is racially sensitive, even though it’s common knowledge. You don’t want to be seen as racist. I believe you that you’re not. But you are an example of the need for this education. It isn’t enough to be non-racist. It’s necessary to be anti-racist. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/12 "2023-01-27T14:21:57Z")
---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/13 "2023-01-27T14:22:45Z")
And this thread is already moving off the rails and already turning personal. Avoid making this personal and avid junior modding please. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/14 "2023-01-27T14:40:05Z")
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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/15 "2023-01-27T14:44:57Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I think a required course in African American studies is a bit much for high school. Politically, it’s a no go, we have a hard enough time just getting a more accurate representation of history in schools today without making this a required course. That makes it _all the more_ important, now that the Florida government is _actively_ trying to shut down a course in Black American history right now. This calls for immediate and vigorous pushback against government-enforced ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/16 "2023-01-27T14:50:55Z")
It needs to be a _full_ semester 3-credit hour course devoted to Black studies. For all Americans, no exceptions. This is long overdue. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/17 "2023-01-27T14:53:47Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Because of people like you not knowing that such and such thing is racially sensitive, even though it’s common knowledge. You want people educated on what is “common knowledge?” ISTM if you want Black studies it is to impart knowledge that is not common. Teach people things they do not know. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/18 "2023-01-27T14:54:53Z")
And what, exactly, are you going to replace with this course? PE? A foreign language? Or do we just demand that every high school student spend another hour a day in the classroom? I mean, I’m **not** against the idea of Black Studies. I just think there are much better ways to do it than a mandated class on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/19 "2023-01-27T14:55:47Z")
I meant to even out the knowledge field between those for whom it’s common knowledge and those who haven’t heard. To get us all on the same page of music in the fight against racism. Speaking of music: “Lift Every Voice and Sing, till Earth and Heaven ring” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/20 "2023-01-27T14:56:52Z")
American history, of course. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888.md?page=2)