The Dangers of Whitewashing Black History

 

Should white people care about the whitewashing of black history?

*Most people will likely answer yes to this question, if only because it sounds politically correct to do so.

*What will hopefully become clear is that whites have as much to lose by whitewashing black history as their African American peers.

*David Ikard is a Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. His research and teaching interests include African American Literature, black feminist criticism, hip-hop culture, black masculinity and whiteness studies. He is the author/co-author of four books, including "Breaking The Silence: Toward a Black Male Feminist Criticism" (2007), "Nation of Cowards: Black Activism in Barack Obama's Post-Racial America" (2012; co-authored with Martell Teasley and winner of the 2013 Best Scholarly Book Award by DISA), "Blinded by the Whites: Why Race Still Matters in 21st-Century America" (2013), and "Lovable Racists, Magical Negroes, and White Messiahs" (2017). His essays have appeared in African American Review, MELUS , Palimpsest, African and Black Diaspora Journal, The Journal of Black Studies, and Obsidian III. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx