In washington, d. C. , and Edwin Henderson is founder and president of the tenner Hill Heritage foundation. Welcome all of you. Thank you. So, why nearly a century after carter g. Woodson, the africanamerican historian established it, are we still debating whether or not we still need black History Month . Well, i think because america really has not fully embraced the contributions of africanamericans. Its the reason why we have to still have this celebration dr. Woodson started in 1926. We are still making history. So were still worthy of study, were still worthy of research and dissemination about our contributions. And its still very important for us. Dr. Whitehead, do you agree with that, and do you think anyone cares about black history other than black people . Well, thats a big issue. I think its important that we still celebrate black History Month. When i travel around the country, if we didnt talk about black history during black mandated, people would not discuss it at all. Ive been in parts of the country they dont want to talk about black history at all and its wonderful because during the month it comes from everywhere. Its in the newspapers, on commercials, its forcing people to wrestle with the issue of who contributed to the making of this country. We have to recognize africanamericans are important in this nation. Mr. Henderson . Not only is it needed, but its necessary, because without the majority population understanding the contributions of africanamericans, then thats when we have problems that arise like we see recently with the shooting of unarmed black men and the need for a black lives Matter Movement. So, we have to push it out there, and, yes, it is needed for the general population as much as the africanamerican population. Recently its been debated among africanamericans in the joy ann reid, whos a reporter with msnbc and an author, says we shouldnt abandon black History Month simply because we havent perfected it. At the other end of the spectrum, fox news personality stacey dash feels basically its unamerican and should be abolished. Your response to that . Oh, my goodness. Certainly, i cannot fathom abolishing the only month in america where we celebrate American History. Let us first begin by saying black History Month is where we study our history. If you disregard the contributions of individuals who have made such an impact on this nation, you lose so much of who the American Fabric is. And we should take pride in the fact that there are individuals who were brought to this nation not of their own volition and have worked hard through enslavement, have worked hard to empower ourselves, and have set across this nation, as kate has said, i get calls from across the world that say, tell us about that black history movement, that whole issue that you have going on over there that have made black people so great and america so great. So we have to embrace this history. And it needs to be now. Yeah, dr. Whitehead, people believe in socalled post racialism, which supposes all things and everyone is equal, argue that everyones history should be celebrated, but celebrated together. I think thats the problem. I think we have to start by understanding black history is American History. It really should be seen as a part of American History and not seen as something separate. I believe in teaching black history 365, i am definitely in support black history should be taught every single day, like we learn American History as if its something separate from black history. At the same time, i know that we can go through the American History curriculum, i have written curriculum for this country and you can at all. You can go through and talk about the civil war and exclude the contributions of the blacks and the slaved americans. Go through and talk about the Civil Rights Movement and only talk about dr. King as if hes Something Special from the study of black peoples contribution to this country. So i dont think we should abandon it. I think we should work to perfect it, but i also think thats the wonderful thing about america. We work to perfect our nation. We perfect our constitution, we perfect our love. We realize weve gotten it wrong and work to make it better. Stacey dashs opinion on one side and joy ann reid on the other, two extremes. Where can you get to a point where were beginning to understand that everybody has contributed something to this nation and we have to combine all of these histories into one. Its a fabric we have to look at. All right, we have to take a break, well continue our discussion about black History Month right after this. Welcome back. We continue our discussion this morning about black history. Mr. Henderson, what in your opinion does black history mean to the legions of young people who have embraced the black lives Matter Movement . Well, i think in this election and as we approach South Carolina, what were going to see is a real concentration by both Democratic Candidates to attract the africanamerican vote. And i believe that its going to be a real struggle. I think were going to see africanamericans lining up on both sides of africanamericans by asking the questions and really shaping their platform towards the africanamerican vote and what we need. Do you think the appeals that are being made to reach out to them, you know, Bernie Sanders going to harlem, Hillary Clinton, you know, focusing on South Carolina and reminding africanamericans of the history and the members of the black caucus endorsing Hillary Clinton last week. Do you think that its going to have the kind of impact that we saw galvanize the black vote in 2008 . No, i dont think its going to galvanize it in the same way. I think that the current political structure is more challenged by how to attract young black people. Black people in general. Because its gog issue focused. 2008 was very emotional. Black people came out to elect the first black president and the issues came behind that. We know there were struggles. Now that were at that platform, thats been done. We dont have to elect the first female president. We dont have to elect an individual whos a business person and has no experience. Were going to look at the issues and how politicians frame their support for those issues that are important to us is going to be a real interesting thing to watch. Dr. Whitehead, assuming its more critical than ever before with unemployment the way it is, economy teetering on the brink of another recession with issues such as, you know, education and housing. All of these front and center. I think whats happening is that people are talking about the issues now. So we said 2008 was an emotional time. I know people who did necessarily agree with president obamas policies but still voted for him. Wanted to make that historic decision and be a part of history in motion. I understand that. Now were talking about the issues. And people are a lot more divided, they are not necessarily following Hillary Clinton because of their ties to bill clinton. They are looking at her reputation. They are looking at her record. They are looking at what shes promising to do and what shes delivered on in the past. I am surprised on one end so many young people are flocking to Bernie Sanders. When you look at what hes talking about and spelled out the issues, then you start to realize the voters in 2008 who wer people, have grown up under barack obama and are more concerned, no longer teenagers. They are concerned about housing and unemployment. Concerned about education and whats happening in our communities and they are working to help galvanize young people. Make your vote count, because it makes a difference. Mr. Henderson, draw the contrast, if you will, between the young people who marched in ones weve seen over the past year marching in places like ferguson. Well, i look at the Civil Rights Movement as a continuum rather than a movement thats been bookmarked for convenience and study by the School Systems, putting it between 1955 and 1965. There was significant civil rights activity before that, going back to, you know, the formation of the naacp, where tenner hill was the first branch established in the entire nation on tenner hill, and i see whats happening today is still fighting for civil rights and human rights. And that the young people of today, as in the 60s, as well, are leading the way such as organizations like snick, that were involved in the 60s. I see the people, the people today, the Justice League and the black lives Matter Movement as still a part of that same movement, moving forward, fighting for africanamerican civil rights. Would you agree with that, its a continuum . Or is it a new thing . Its a continuum, but theres something new. Dr. Whitehead was talking about this, saying this, young people dont see that same need to have the leader like they did in the Civil Rights Movement. They are all feeling empowered. Everyone has something to say. I think this is good for america, because its empowering everybody to have a voice. What are you saying about this, and you can create the league for today and tomorrow the next person can step up and they can have the lead. So its different in that way, but young people have always made changes in america. The Civil Rights Movement would not have been the movement. Brown v. Would not have been as impactful if it werent for young people. I think the lesson is we have to make sure our young people are educated, that they know their history, so that they can be the moving force, that energy, that really impacts and effects positive change for the nation. All right, got to take another break. Well continue our talk in just a minute. [000 15 44;00] [000 15 46;00] choose, choose, choose. But at bedtime . Why settle for this . Enter sleep number, and the ultimate sleep number event, going on now. Sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. D soft. Hes more hardcore. So your sleep goes from good to great to wow only at a sleep number store, right now save 50 on the ultimate limited edition bed, plus 24month financing. Hurry, ends monday. Know better sleep with sleep number. I lead the 11 oclock news with stories of gun violence. And like many of you, my family lived through the beltway sniper crisis. In congress, ill fight to expand background checks on guns and ammunition, ban assault weapons, and mandate gun safety locks, because too many kids die from accidental shootings. Lets show the nra were not afraid of them; as demrats, as americans, as parents. Im Kathleen Matthews and i approve this message. Welcome back. When i was a kid growing up in las vegas, nevada, i learned in school about frederick douglas, mcleod, harriet luther king, rosa parks, and slavery. Those are the same things, the same focuses, of black History Lesson plans today. What needs to change . Theres more than just those individuals. Is there a resistance to expanding, going deeper in our schools . Absolutely. I think part of it is there is only a certain amount of time that you have to execute a lesson plan and thats part of it, but theres also a resistance to accept the total story of america. Weve done some Great Projects that we have provided to School Districts free of charge that one of them is called freedom song and it was a wonderful piece, ten episodes of little known facts in black america. We took it to School Districts and teachers actually said the race riots did not happen, america would never bomb black people. There was never a black wall street. So if you dont know that you dont know, you just say theyve really real. So i, you know, we have real challenges in terms of curriculum and thats the reason why the association does work, its called the black history bulletin. We write curriculum for teachers so we can get that information out there so teachers have credible information that they know is the truth that they can share in classrooms and its very important. Dr. Whitehead, youre an educator, you know all about the curricula out there. How would you make it more effective and more productive . I think theres a big disconnect. Even though we learn the big sixes, that i call it, frederick douglas, theres a disconnect because what they are doing is they are collapsing the history of africanamericans in this country down to one month. This notion that each week is something different, one week is Civil Rights Movement, one is slavery, one is barack obama, one is where we are Going Forward and students get confused. They Start ConnectingHarriet Tubman to dr. King and not reali t difference in time and connecting barack obama, but they dont get confused about George Washington and Thomas Jefferson because they had the ten months of School Learning about that history, which we call white history, American History, but really white history because you talk only about white people during that time and remove our history. How can it be more productive . Taking black history, putting it back into the curriculum and getting rid of black History Month. As i said before, if you didnt have black History Month, there would be places in this country that wouldnt talk about black history at all. I think its worth pointing out theres a reason black History Month is celebrated in february. Carter g. Woodson had birthdays in mind. Abraham lincoln and frederick douglas. So, of course, i think its interesting people dont know february used to be the celebration of American History, only month they set aside for American History before it was picked up as negro history week and black History Month. Mr. Henderson, some History Month, some blacks say black History Month has become a lot like christmas. Too commercialized. Do you agree with that . Parades, dr. Kings dream speech, singing. I dont think that they are commercializing it, but id like to address the question that you asked before. Is there resistance . Absolutely. Its not by the School Systems, but by individuals that are teaching the subject matter. I am a retired u. S. History teacher in Fairfax County public schools, and i constantly ran up against resistance to teach ideas that were actually in the curriculum, but because of things like the pacing schedule and things like that, decision was made by the chair, the Department Chair or the principal, that we did not have have time to teach a unit that pertained to africanamerican month or to civil rights or to individuals that were instrumental in the reconstruction era and things like that. So you have to understand there is resistance, not by the School System curriculum, but by individuals within the School System that are teaching the subject matter that are not, should i say, indoctrinated or appreciative of africanAmerican History. Ms. Cyrus, the question i initially asked about, black History Month, has it become too commercial . Is there too narrow a focus on the speeches and the parades . Its kind of interesting, when woodson started negro history week, it was the culmination of a years worth of research and he had many programs and promoted the fact be operas, there would be all aspect of black life, history, and culture. That piece is not problematic with me. The black History Month sale by a given retailer or were going to push watermelon or chocolate candy, that takes it to a whole different level. But i think there does have to be some level of celebration. There has to be some level that we really bring to the attention that you can take all this information and make it i dont want to say entertainment exactly, but some of that, so you can learn and like learning. So im okay with some of that. Not the watermelon, thats a problem. Well be right back, stay with us. Welcome back. Mr. Henderson, center Hill Foundation is located in falls church and you have a renaissance fair coming up on the 19th. Harlem renaissance fair. Harlem renaissance and renaissance fairs. Everybody knows what renaissance fair is going back to medieval europe, but were doing an evening of jazz and poetry, we have the Jazz Orchestra and were also having a oneman play by david mills on the life and poetry of langston hughes. There will be reenactors, there will be food and drink, and there will be displays. All right, you have a black history luncheon on february 20th. My birthday thats wonderful, you should come out. Everyone should. Well have the 90th annual black History Month luncheon hel hotel. It will begin at 10 00 a. M. With an authors book signing until 12 15, well have a luncheon featuring our own kate whitehead, who will be our guest speaker. If you want to know more, go to our website, for more informatin about the luncheon on february 20th. Hallowed grounds, sights of africanamerican memories. Were going to talk next saturday about what it means to be standing on holy ground and come as far as weve come as africanamericans and prepare for the next phase of our lives. Dr. Karsonya whitehead, sylvia cyrus, mr. Edwin henderson, thank you for being with us this morning. Thank you, thats viewpoint, im pat lawson muse. News 4 today is next. The market. Redict but through good times and bad. At t. Rowe price. Weve helped our investors stay confident for over 75 years. Call us or your advisor. T. Rowe price. Invest with confidence. May not always be clear. But at t. Rowe price, we can help guide your retirement savings. Ment journey takes you, we can help you reach your goals. Call us or your advisor t. Rowe price. Invest with confidence. 6 00 and right now, bring on the big freeze. Were dealing with bitter cooled temperatures. Which i wi chill crest weather weve seen and when more snow may be hitting your neighborhood. And justice antonin scalia. 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