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Black History Month

Date: Feb 22 2008

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Black history is a very important part of American history. But it wasn’t always viewed that way. As African-Americans have struggled for equality, they have also struggled for recognition for those who came before them.

Since African-American history was largely ignored for a long time and not taught in schools, February is national Black History Month. The month serves to make sure that people like Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and successful author, and Abraham Lincoln, the President who freed the slaves, aren’t forgotten.

Lincoln and Douglass were both born in February, which is how the month was chosen. But lots of other important moments in black history happened in February. Blacks were given the right to vote, and the first black senator was elected in February. It’s also the month that famous militant leader Malcolm X was assassinated.

But black history isn’t all politics. It’s also community. Listen to Devan and Beren talk about how Black History Month can make you think about the history of your neighborhood.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Devan

Beren: So, uh, February’s Black History Month. I don’t know…Are there lots of events surrounding it? I’m aware, but only because I live in the section of the city where it’s predominantly African-Americans.

Devan: I just started college so being in school makes you take a lot more note of it than I would normally. We’ve been discussing Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and the whole civil rights movement, but I feel like normal, working people don’t have a lot of exposure to the month and I think it’s important. I think there should be more activities in the community to celebrate it.

Beren: Yeah, definitely. I think…I don’t know, especially in…where it’s predominantly African-American, they do…They have whole days devoted to different African-American history details like the history of the neighborhood, but I think people in the outer reaches have no idea what’s going on.

Devan: That’s interesting. Are you going to partake in some of the events?

Beren: Possibly.

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Discussion

Beren asks Devan if there are a lot of events going on for Black History Month. Devan isn’t sure, but she says that black history has been a topic of discussion at her school. She worries that people who aren’t in school might not notice that it’s Black History Month.

Beren says that she notices it’s Black History Month because there are celebrations in her neighborhood of the area’s black heritage.

What’s the history of your neighborhood? Is it tied to the history of your country?

Comments

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boyeol

South Korea

Korea also have anniversary which celebrates independence from Japan. We also know how badly Korean lived during the japanese colonial period, almost 36 years. but I also have many japanses friends. All of them are really nice. I cannot hate them. but, what I really want to their government is admitting their fault of the past and asking us to forgive them like Germany did to people in the world.

nad1a

Greece

you could just copy the URL of the lesson from the address bar of your browser and paste the link in your email.

jm1967

United States

Can anyone tell this first time user of this site how I can email this lesson to my friend who is living abroad? I think it's interesting for her since she is from the Ukraine and she has a son from an African man.

Thanks in advance, Jerry~

Ange888

Brazil

Malcom X

zeinabou

Egypt

i always beleived that people who are borne at february are great so am i

thisisbenmo

China

Japanese millitary has done horrible things in the past, but they still don't tell the truth about it in their history textbooks.

kunga10

India

black men's are those men who inspire the world to fight fight for their freedom by non-voilence.

I respect them.

gokuh

India

Yes. i am aware of this history

jeamy

France

for me it's very important to speak about black history i live in france and at school never a teatcher taught me black history they prefer ignored this

FeiFei

China

yes, everyone in china is remembers those days that Japanese hace invaded our motherland and hce insulted our people

sunnylinda

China

HuangYe

United Kingdom

Not just japanese but some chinese may ignore the Anniversary of triumph of Anti-Janpanese War . especially the young generations. There are always some people speak "F" words to japanese but they even ignore the day japanese invaded our motherland, why was this happen?

zeus2006

Turkey

Hi Nad1a,

This is what you understand from my comment?I'm so sorry.I tried to explain different thing but you understood different thing, Summary, don't live the past just understand your mistakes and don't do it again.I don't have any problem about someone who lives in USA :) it is not like to me to behave like that.I tried to mention, if you are interested in the other countries (I mean in this century-and USA) to give more freedom them or create democracy there it is just funny, first of all you should take a look at your democracy (I mean USA's democracy not yours:) ) Because of that please, read my comment and and think again before your writting!!!!

margui

Argentina

It's interesting to be in touch with this kind of information….

We all need to increase our knowledge about life….

nad1a

Greece

@ zeus
If we are to hate, all of Europe’s got reasons to hate either Turkey for the Turkish yoke, or Germany for Hitler or Italy fot Musolini, or Russia for the Communism. Imagine how absurdous that sounds.
As for the Turkish Bulgarians, I’m sorry for them, but the system was just like that those days, victims of which were not only ethnic Turks but Bulgarian people as well, in various ways. As I’m sorry for the slavery in America, but it was with the help of white Americans that slavery was abolished. So should I hate present day’s American people?
Then allow me to contradict you, but , NO, hardly any of the ancestors of present day nations originate from the same geographic regions, today’s countries are located.They were constantly moving from one place to another, searching for fertile land, or better climate, natural resources etc, and inevitably chasing local people away or enslaving them.
And last, I repeat, NO NEED FOR HATRED for goodness sake.
And what the heck with your anti-US propaganda? Have you been dumped or played dirty on by some American chick or something. Cos even so, it’s not the USA’s fault.