Why Panel On Slavery Is Necessary

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The New York Sun

I’ve been racking my brain for days now trying to understand why anybody would be opposed to the newly formed panel that will examine whether students learn enough about slavery in the state’s public schools.


The Amistad Commission, a 19-member group to be chosen by Governor Pataki, will focus on how effectively instructors cover the slave trade and other black experiences. At the end of the commission’s fact-finding search, the unpaid panel members could recommend improved textbooks, educational programs on racism, and more training for teachers.


The creation of the commission – named after the Spanish merchant ship that was taken over by the African slaves it was carrying – made possible by a state bill introduced by Assemblyman Keith Wright of Harlem, has its fair share of critics, namely those who think that discussions about slavery, like sex education and evolution, have no place in public school education.


The executive director of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, Michael Meyers, for example, has argued that the commission is an “empty gesture” and said that politicians such as Mr. Wright and Mr. Pataki, who signed the bill into law earlier this month, are overstepping their boundaries.


“We’ve been talking about the incorporation of blacks into the curricula and social studies for how many decades now?” asked Mr. Meyers. “This is not a new subject. This is old and tired.”


Mr. Meyers’s observation is precisely the reason for why this commission is so desperately needed. After years of calling for reform, schools have been negligent in educating students about one of the most horrific periods in human history. Illinois and New Jersey have recently established Amistad Commissions.


Several months ago, I was asked to speak at a New York City public high school and was disturbed, though not surprised, to find out that most of the students in attendance had never heard of the Middle Passage – the Atlantic crossing between Africa and the Americas where countless enslaved Africans died.


When I attended public schools in Philadelphia, slavery was rarely mentioned. Instead, we learned about the “safe” black figures in American history: Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks were favorites, but even those names were rarely mentioned outside of Black History Month.


Meanwhile, Malcolm X had been blacklisted from the curriculum and there was no mention of Nat Turner and the countless other black heroes who actively resisted slavery, sometimes leading revolts in an effort to secure the freedom of their people.


Some educators have argued that schools spend too much time engaging in revisionist history, while neglecting to confront the country’s more ugly historical narratives, which tell the story for example, of black women being raped by their white slave masters and black men being lynched at the hands of plantation owners.


When Oprah Winfrey’s movie “Beloved” bombed in the box office, I couldn’t help but wonder if it didn’t do well because it was largely about race and slavery.


For years, Ms. Winfrey has successfully convinced Americans to consume whatever she endorses. If she recommends a book, it becomes an immediate best-seller. If she launches a new magazine, it becomes an instant success.


Yet, when Ms. Winfrey decided to turn Toni Morrison’s novel into a motion picture, in which she and actor Danny Glover were two of the starring characters, movie-goers stayed home. Not even America’s favorite talk-show host could prompt a serious discussion about slavery.


While state schools are already required to teach lessons on slavery and the Underground Railroad, it’s clearly not sufficient, which is the reason why the Amistad Commission – which has received bipartisan support, has been established.


“It’s imperative that we as a society and we as a public school system get a fresh perspective on how to teach this stuff,” said Mr. Wright. “Certainly, I don’t think our children know enough about it, and I think it’s imperative that we get a fresh perspective.”


Mr.Wright’s commission is a start in the right direction. All students, white students included, need to understand the significance of slavery and the long-range impact it has had on almost every aspect of our society.


“Slavery is the reason that this country has been built,” said Mr. Wright. “It’s been the foundation of this country.”



Mr. Watson is the executive editor of the New York Amsterdam News. He can be reached at jamalwats@aol.com.


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