Thoughts on racially specific histories?

Question

Morgan Freeman once said, "There is no black history or white history. There is just history."* I am so on board with that and am curious as to what other people think about that. We have gone through, and are going through, so much turmoil trying to bring races together. Why would we want to divide our histories? Let's combine them, it's all the same history...human history.

*This quote comes from the special edition of the movie Glory. You can watch the actors give comments etc while the movie plays. Freeman says this at one point during the movie.

Answer 1

Personally as a historian I like racially focused histories. I have read Asian-American histories, African-American histories, Native-American histories, and Hispanic-American histories and I have learned a great deal from each one. Each one gives a different slant (especially the Asian history) to the same historical events since it is being told by THEIR perspective. That is what history is all about anyway (I believe.) I try to select a specific event in history and then read AS MANY different accounts of that event to determine what really happened.

Answer 2

I think historically the problem is that the histories of non-white people have been ignored. If all human history were recorded and taught equally, then yes, racially-specific histories would be unnecessary.

For example: did you know about the Wilmington race riots?
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_riot.html

We heard about Elizabeth Smart, Megan Klaas, Adam Walsh...but Erica Pratt?
http://www.time.com/time/pow/article/0,8599,331695,00.html

I think reportage is getting better but it's still so slanted.

Answer 3

people who are seeking history are usually people trying to find their Owen family history or that history they relate to ,its part of being part of something bigger than them self's in hopes of feeling alive and important . and that would be all people of all colors and walks of life ,I guess that would be the common link you want us to have.