Martin Luther King Day

[LuthienTinuviel]

something is incredibly stupid about this, no, not Martin Luther King Day, but the fact that all of the schools in the Detroit and Flint areas are taking tomorrow off, whilst my lily white community doesn't even know that there is a day devoted to Martin Luther King Jr.
It's not the fact that i have to be inschool tomorrow either, i've only got half a day(no realation to the holiday it's just that we have finals all this week, so we get a break), which means i get out at 10 thirty-something, it's just that the man who fought for anti-segregation is only commemorated in schools where black people outnumber the white.
woo, anti segregation we is!
i think that everyone should be observing this day. He taought about how not to be racist, not just against blacks, but anyone else who is a little different.

what about everyone else who is school aged? do you do anything in your classes to give a little input on MLK Jr.?

boy, sorry about that.. i sure am tired.

[Dúnedain]

Well, I am done with school as I graduated from college a couple years ago, however I don't think that we ever had MLK day off in all the years I was in school. I could be wrong, but I really don't think we did. I agree, that is a shame that only some schools get it off, it should be all!!

[The Lady of Ithilien]

It's been a long time since I was in school, and I have no children in school recently, but here's a North/South perspective, as I lived in upstate New York for a while and am now in Alabama.

In upstate New York, the attitude among white people everywhere was very much, "It's a black people's holiday, but for me it's business as usual." In fact, I remember watching the mayor of Albany (a white man) leading a parade down Quail Street during one of the first, if not The first MLK Day (I'm older than dirt, you understand ), and was amazed at the intense looks of hatred coming at him from white people indoors looking out some windows along the way. It wasn't pretty.

I wondered how it would be in Alabama. Well, I found out the first January I was here, four years ago. My complex had both black and white people, families and college students, in it, and it was as quiet and solemn a day for everybody as if it were Easter or Christmas. Of course, here, people take it very personally.

[markedel]

I'm Canadian so I don't notice-though my politics class will discuss it, and the "I have a Dream Speech"

[afro-elf]

Lady of Ith...

I recall the 1st MLK day or be more exact I vaguely recall it. I think I was an early teen. I'll check out the date.

Anyway I am suprised that happened in Albany.

Just checked it was in 1986 I was in my late teens.

[Starr Polish]

I'm not getting out for MLK Jr. Day either. Because of this our school also does not get out on days that celebrate white men, such as Columbus Day and President's Day.

[GandalfTheWhite]

i dont get school off cuz the god damn teachers went on strike for a week early in the year and know we are making up for it by adding days we should have off, damn teachers

[The Lady of Ithilien]

Originally posted by afro-elf
Lady of Ith...

I recall the 1st MLK day or be more exact I vaguely recall it. I think I was an early teen. I'll check out the date.

Anyway I am suprised that happened in Albany.

Just checked it was in 1986 I was in my late teens.

How was it? What were your impressions?

Yep, Albany, New York. Mayor Tom Whalen. 1986 is about right; I was working on Quail Street then, so it was probably the first one.

BTW, Google has a nice logo today.

[Huan]

I'm in Mississippi; that is ironic in the worst way that in New York people would consider MLK Day a "black person's holiday," while here in the South it's very important. The damn yankees should know better! And I agree that all schools in the U.S. should be closed today. Just shows we still have a ways to go. My mother was amazed and a little disapproving that the public library where I work would be closed. It's a PUBLIC library; MLK Day is a national holiday. I felt her disapproval betrayed a racial stance I wouldn't have expected from her.

[Evenstar1400]

i have today off too.

my history teacher discussed with us how it was important that the entire nation celebrates this holiday because MLKjr. saved the country from going through a civil war between blacks and whites. we watched a video of MLKjr.'s speech and i was pretty moved, even though some of the class was not paying attention.

as for us damn yankees, some of us do appreciate what MLKjr. did for us.

[Legolas_Frodo_Aragorn]

its not in schools that only have more blacks. In my grade we only have one african american, and we celebrate Martin Luther King jr. day too. We also had a big talk on him in history

[Legolas_Frodo_Aragorn]

go caroline..do u have mr. burch too?

[Firekitten2006]

I thought it was a mandatory day off? That is wrong that its "optional". I mean, I have lived many many places and I'm 14. I've lived in Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Texas, and California, and every place had MLK Jr. Day off.

Kinda a shock to me that its like that in some parts of the country.

[jerseydevil]

The day that there is a Martin Luther King Jr impersonator advertising used cars or the latest sale at Macy's on TV during the holiday - then that will be a sign that we have moved beyond the race issue. No one has a problem with George Washington or Abraham Lincoln being used to sell used cars - but I can imagine the outrage that would cause if MLK's image was used like that. No one feels compelled to complain that 4th of July is all about drinking and eating and fireworks.

I'm for Martin Luther King day - but I don't see where it's any more important than Washington's birthday (which is now called ridiculous president's day, we should be celebrating the first president of this country). And when schools have to go to school because of missed days - no one complains. Pt Pleasant Beach High School had to go to school because the school was being worked on in the beginning of the school year and they had to start late. The NAACP was outraged. The school also had to give up Columbus Day too - but I guess that just didn't make the news and was acceptable - but it was all over the news when they had to give up MLK Day.

Point Pleasant spent the entire day learning about MLK - but that wasn't good enough to satisfy the NAACP - even though schools never devote the whole day to learn about Washington when they have to go to school during his birthday.

I think that learning "black history" should NOT be religated to a single month (February) or single day (MLK day). It should just be part of history class. The US is becoming more black and white, us and them - not because of government - but because there are people who have an interest in keeping the race issue alive - such as Al Sharpton.

I guess that's my biggest problem with Martin Luther King Day - no one bother's to go out of their way to actually learn about the MANY sacrifices that George Washington made (school only touches the very surface and most of it's legend) or the TRUE meaing of 4th of July and actually celebrate it as the freedom of OUR country - which all anyone thinks about are picnics and fireworks. The last two years I've gone to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in Jersey City. But people are outraged when Martin Luther King Day even starts to be treated like all the other American holidays - as just a day off from work or school and a day to just have fun.

[The Lady of Ithilien]

This may seem way off topic, but since the discussion initially did start out with a question about why some people had to go to school that day and others didn't, thought I'd share some news I read just now at DEBKAfile (note: I'm not an expert, but I think central Israel has heretofore been considered out of range of enemy attacks):

"Heads of schools in Central Israel have been instructed to start preparing bomb shelters as classrooms Thursday and set in stocks of food and water for several days.

"In war emergency, pupils up to 9 years and eighth graders will attend class, others will stay home."

We don't know how lucky we've got it.

[Insidious Rex]

Pardon me for being completely nieve but isnt it a federal law now that schools (public) take this day off? or is it done state by state?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Insidious Rex
Pardon me for being completely nieve but isnt it a federal law now that schools (public) take this day off? or is it done state by state?

It's a Federal Holiday - but the national government doesn't dictate to any schools when they should take off. The only requirement made by the federal government are the number of hours that students must go to school each year.

[The Lady of Ithilien]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
I think that learning "black history" should NOT be religated to a single month (February) or single day (MLK day). It should just be part of history class.

Yep. And it usually isn't. John Sibley Butler's Entrepreneurship isn't handy, but it would be interesting to take some things from it and submit them as a test in today's school, things like:

1. Compare and contrast W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington.
   
2. What is the significance of Durham, North Carolina, in African-American history?
   
3. How much money did former slaves deposit in the Freedman's Bank (think that's the name of it, but would have to check) right after the War Between the States, and what happened to the bank?
   
4. Who was Benjamin Banneker and how did he obtain an introduction to a leading abolitionist of the time?
   
5. Discuss the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 and "Black Wall Street's" response to it.
   
6. Of the African-Americans elected to local legislatures in the South immediately after the Civil War, how many had college educations?

Well, students -- it's Black History Month. Anybody care to take the test?

[Firekitten2006]

I think its very interesting that you mentioned the Tulsa Race Riot! lol Up until a few years ago that was a very dark and dirty secret in our city. NO ONE talked about it if they knew about it, so no one knew about it. My mom didnt hear about it until she was in College! Probably about 30-50 years after it happened. She later found out that her Grandfather, who she spent most of her time with, watched much of it happed from his front porch. He was under 10 years old, so he didnt participate, but he did watch. I'm surprised that they're finding out about it now! If you have ever lived in Tulsa you know what I mean. It is a very old fashioned city. Its still somewhat unofficially split into groups depending on your race, money, etc. Example:

There is the North Side. If you are White, or an African American who doesnt dress like other African Americans you just DO NOT go to that side of town! It literally is the other side of the tracks.

South Tulsa-This is the new money side of town Very big houses, predominately White area.

West Side-This is where the dirt poor lazy White people come in. LOTS of industry around here. Very dirty, cheap, and the people for the most part arent trying to better the situation.

East Side-This is the Melting Pot of Tulsa. There isnt one racial group larger than the other. EVERYTHING is in this part of town.

Mid Town-The Old Money side of town. This is where the old families, and the old houses are. Very nice part of town.

And thats just touching the surface. People still dont want to talk about the Race Riots. Lots of horrible things happened in it, and if you want me to post what I know about it I will gladly do so.
Now on to my non Tulsa history part of the post
********
I think that the day the non African American population of the US stops having to pay back for the errors of our fore fathers, that is the day we wont be segregated. It will always be somewhat segregated. Like the North Side of Tulsa. You just know that you dont go there if you fit into one of those catagories that isnt welcome. Its not enforced by law, but you are raised with the rule "dont go on the North Side at night! You'll get shot!" of course its dangerous anytime of the day or night.

My personal opinion is if we have Black History Month, why dont we have Native American Month? Do you know, there is on average ONE SMALL Paragraph that talks about how they moved the Native Americans? But they dont say WHY they resisted. They just say they resisted, and then the Knights in Shining Armor came and saved the innocent US Citizens from the unruley Indians. of course thats not what they say exactly, but they dont mention that the Cherokees refused because they believed that the West was a place of death, people left and never came back, it was a cursed and horrible place equal to the Christian Hell. They dont mention that even highly educated, and intelligent leaders who were Native American were forced to walk, sit in carts like animals, and freeze to death on the way to Oklahoma, a place where even the White settlers hadnt ventured to. And then when they discovered the Native Americans were sitting on oil, they kicked them out once again, but this time not with a new place to go. They would have to race for their homes alongside the people that took their original homes from them.

You might have guessed from the above paragraph I'm Cherokee Well it still isnt a great thing to be Native American in Oklahoma. If you try and get what the goverment is giving you to help fix the mistakes of the past, you are given a Liscence plate that states to the whole world that you are a Native American that went to get money, or help with college, or just simply registered your family so people in the future, God Forbid, should they need the governments help they could get it. People look down on the Native Americans like the look down on people who sit around and collect welfare. So in an effort to have a chane with people, or maybe it was just pride, my family hid the fact that we were Native American. My family isnt on the scrolls, and there is quite possibly no way I can prove my heritage because of the lack of that one signature. The same Grandfather that was listed above that witnessed the Race Riots, was aproximately 1/4 to 1/2 Native American. But he HID the fact. He did not want anyone to make assumptions about him before he told them who he was.

So the point of all this ranting and raving is that I dont believe that Americans will ever truly be free with every meaning of the word. The day that we can look upon the person sitting next to us without cringing at thier 3-4 year old scuffed up pair of shoes, and as a results scooting further away from them, or not care what background someone has, that is the day we wont have to take off a day to remember what MLK Jr did for us, we will just KNOW what really happened on the first 4th of July, and we will take pride in it.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally posted by Firekitten2006
My personal opinion is if we have Black History Month, why dont we have Native American Month?

We absolutely should. There should be a Trail of Tears memorial of some sort too. Is there? All American kids should know about the mistreatment of native americans AND the sad history of slavery in our country as well as they know about their own revolutionary war.

And then when they discovered the Native Americans were sitting on oil, they kicked them out once again, but this time not with a new place to go. They would have to race for their homes alongside the people that took their original homes from them.

Typical American manifest destiny mentality. And then they turn around and wonder why it is that things like alcoholism and suicide are so epidemic on reservations.

So in an effort to have a chane with people, or maybe it was just pride, my family hid the fact that we were Native American. My family isnt on the scrolls, and there is quite possibly no way I can prove my heritage because of the lack of that one signature.

So I am guessing you dont look cherokee at all.