This week
Donald Trump made news for referring to Fredrick Douglass in the present tense.
Sean Spicer, the president’s press secretary, made less news by similarly not
seeming to know that Douglass had died or even what he was talking about. The Democrat and Chronicle the one
remaining newspaper in the city of Rochester, where Douglass published
The North Star from 1847-51, went to
Mount Hope Cemetery to
get a comment.
Side
stepping the laughter and the mockery, President Trump has proven a useful
object lesson to the cause of how we teach history when it is not about DWM (Dead
White Men). Those that are not taught about Eli Whitney and the cotton Gin,
Douglass is the first non DWM that is mentioned in most American History
Classes, almost a 100 years after the founding of the republic. If Douglass is
not recognized, then students will wait another hundred before they are taught
about an individual African-American, Martin Luther King Jr. The first woman is
often another newspaper
publisher out of Rochester, NY, Susan B. Anthony.
We don’t
give credit to the work that African-Americans did to build this country, we
don’t give credit to the work that women did to either. We focus so much attention
on white men. Granted we often study those in power, which by rule were those
DWM, but we should also study those who wield power, those who can empower all
of us. We have benefited in this country and every other from the contributions
of people from all walks of life. So while we are all enjoying this gaff, we
should be taking a slightly more serious stock that our President is a
reflection on our people. He has reflected that we don’t learn enough about all
of our citizens, we should find a way to better ourselves from his example.
So, thank
you, Mr. President. I may not get to say that often, so I’ll enjoy it while I can.
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