We all know its going to happen. PBS is going to change its lineup a little bit. OWN is going to have a special. Black boys and girls around the country will stand before their congregations and repeat the speeches of Sojourner Truth and MLK. Colleges and universities will bring in special speakers. We will soak it up, the learning, the celebration, the centering of black history month. But inevitably, someone somewhere is going to ask the question, "Why isn't there a white history month?"
Some will ask sincerely feeling excluded and confused. Many will ask out of sarcasm, believing themselves to be making a novel point about double standards. Most will not expect a response. Usually this "question" is asked not to talk seriously about the history of whiteness, but to avoid celebrating blackness. In the past I have responded to this question by discussing the importance of black history. I've also explored the ways whiteness created the need to center blackness in the first place. But this year, I'd like to try something new. I'd like to respond to the request... Below is your white history calendar.
Now I'm not sure if folks really want a white history month. Because that would require telling the truth. It would require giving an honest account of America's story. In order to have a white history month, we would have to talk about white superiority. Ya'll know I'm not usually down for centering whiteness, but in this case, I think it is important that we understand the history of white superiority- how it started, how it has morphed, how it impacts today. So for one month, please feel free to share with anyone who displays a desire to connect history to today.
Don't forget to lay ground rules though! I suspect there may be a little resistance by the time you get to Day 10 (or sooner). Keep scrolling for my list of online articles, essays, and videos. All you need is an internet connection to partake!
Day 1: Christopher Columbus
Day 2: Indian Removal Act
Day 3: Doctrine of Discovery
Day 4: Middle Passages
Day 5: Thomas Jefferson
Day 6: Slave Narratives
Day 7: Mexican American Immigration
Day 8: Abraham Lincoln
Day 9: Science of Racism
Day 10: Slavery + Capitalism
Day 11: Slavery in the North
Day 12: Slave Codes
Day 13: Black Codes
Day 14: Lynchings
Day 15: Chinese Immigrants + Exclusion
Day 16: Understanding Jim Crow
Day 17: Impact of Jim Crow
Day 18: Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Day 19: The History of the KKK
Day 20: Red Summer (Chicago)
Day 21: Tulsa Riot
Day 22: Japanese Americans + Internment
Day 23: History of Housing Segregation
Day 24: The Quiet Plunder
Day 25: Little Rock
Day 26: Ole Miss
Day 27: Selma + Voting Rights
Day 28: Letter from Birmingham Jail
* I cannot guarantee how long these links will be active. Also, please be aware this is not chronological. I tried to group events together generally, but links certainly overlap in what they cover. I hope the overlap helps tie things together. Lastly, there is sooo much more to history than whats listed here, of course. Nonetheless, I hope this offers connection- between events and from Columbus till today.