▲ 771 ▼ I think the biggest disservice that I received from my US Public School education was being taught that the civil rights movement was something from the past. (lemmy.world) submitted 4 months ago by BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world 77 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] RumorsOfLove@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 4 months ago (1 child) Born around 2000 here: My high-school history class got to 1945 and that was the end. permalink fedilink source hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 28 points 4 months ago* (3 children) Born around 1985 here and...same. I think the biggest disservice regarding the Civil Rights era is talking up MLK every year...and not once mentioning Malcom X or the Black Panthers. MLK would have accomplished nothing if the alternative wasn't them. It paints the picture that hippies and marches are all that's needed. It's not. The oppressors need to feel unsafe. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [+] ThunderQueen@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent [–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) Yeah, it’s interesting that the curriculum starts by portraying the American revolution as a just and righteous war, with ragtag bands of freedom fighters going up against a brutal and overwhelmingly powerful oppressor… And then as soon as the revolution is concluded, the messaging takes a hard turn to “but also violence is never okay and peaceful protest is the only acceptable way to instigate change!” In the chapters about the civil rights era, Malcom X and the Black Panthers were barely mentioned in a footnote. And only really as a “oh also not all people were peaceful, and that violence only hurt the protestors’ message” warning. And the sad part is that the propaganda works. Every time some politically-charged violence happens, you inevitably have people in the comments chanting about how violence is never the answer, and peaceful protest is the only acceptable way to change things. permalink fedilink source parent [–] MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago Malcolm X wasn't the violent revolutionary that teenage edgelords have made him out to be. Fuck, if anything, MLK was more radical because he advocated breaking the law. Malcolm X didn't. He just believed in self-defense. People denigrating the legacy and accomplishments of MLK are fucking sickening. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 28 points 4 months ago* (3 children) Born around 1985 here and...same. I think the biggest disservice regarding the Civil Rights era is talking up MLK every year...and not once mentioning Malcom X or the Black Panthers. MLK would have accomplished nothing if the alternative wasn't them. It paints the picture that hippies and marches are all that's needed. It's not. The oppressors need to feel unsafe. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 6 child comments replies: [+] ThunderQueen@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent [–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) Yeah, it’s interesting that the curriculum starts by portraying the American revolution as a just and righteous war, with ragtag bands of freedom fighters going up against a brutal and overwhelmingly powerful oppressor… And then as soon as the revolution is concluded, the messaging takes a hard turn to “but also violence is never okay and peaceful protest is the only acceptable way to instigate change!” In the chapters about the civil rights era, Malcom X and the Black Panthers were barely mentioned in a footnote. And only really as a “oh also not all people were peaceful, and that violence only hurt the protestors’ message” warning. And the sad part is that the propaganda works. Every time some politically-charged violence happens, you inevitably have people in the comments chanting about how violence is never the answer, and peaceful protest is the only acceptable way to change things. permalink fedilink source parent [–] MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago Malcolm X wasn't the violent revolutionary that teenage edgelords have made him out to be. Fuck, if anything, MLK was more radical because he advocated breaking the law. Malcolm X didn't. He just believed in self-defense. People denigrating the legacy and accomplishments of MLK are fucking sickening. permalink fedilink source parent
[+] ThunderQueen@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) [deleted] permalink fedilink source parent
[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) Yeah, it’s interesting that the curriculum starts by portraying the American revolution as a just and righteous war, with ragtag bands of freedom fighters going up against a brutal and overwhelmingly powerful oppressor… And then as soon as the revolution is concluded, the messaging takes a hard turn to “but also violence is never okay and peaceful protest is the only acceptable way to instigate change!” In the chapters about the civil rights era, Malcom X and the Black Panthers were barely mentioned in a footnote. And only really as a “oh also not all people were peaceful, and that violence only hurt the protestors’ message” warning. And the sad part is that the propaganda works. Every time some politically-charged violence happens, you inevitably have people in the comments chanting about how violence is never the answer, and peaceful protest is the only acceptable way to change things. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago Malcolm X wasn't the violent revolutionary that teenage edgelords have made him out to be. Fuck, if anything, MLK was more radical because he advocated breaking the law. Malcolm X didn't. He just believed in self-defense. People denigrating the legacy and accomplishments of MLK are fucking sickening. permalink fedilink source parent