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The controversy surrounding Black History is not new. It began in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson introduced Negro History week and has continued into the twenty-first century. Proponents of Black History believe that it promotes diversity, develops selfesteem, and corrects myths and stereotypes. Opponents argue such curricula are dishonest, divisive, and lack academic credibility and rigor The article highlights Banks 'approaches to multicultural reform and illustrates the struggles of schools that have attempted to infuse Black History into their curricula.
When Carter G. Woodson declared Negro History Week in 1926, a controversy began that would continue into the twenty-first century. Woodson's Negro History Week was a major step in the process of eradicating many of the problems that confront African Americans as a result of the institution of slavery. Some of those problems include a lack of meaningful education, self-knowledge, and self-esteem. The idea of Black History has stirred controversy since its inception and continues to be an important issue in the educational arena. Opponents of Black History have argued that its implementation into the curriculum will be dishonest, divisive, and will make children ill prepared for the work force. Proponents of Black History believe that it will promote cultural diversity, develop self-esteem, and correct many of the myths espoused by the Euro-centric centered curriculum. Carter G. Woodson was confronted with many of the current arguments that attempt to keep Black History out of the curriculum. It is important to note that the terms Black History and Afrocent-ricity are used synonymously in this article. The definition of each term has Africa at the center of shaping ideas and both are interested in people of African descent in America.
Over the years, Negro History Week has evolved into Black History Month, which was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter (Sesay, 1996). Prior to Carter signing Black History Month into law, student protest in the 1960s involved issues with regard to Black Studies. Presently, the controversy around Black History continues to be a problem that confronts American institutions, in particular, public education institutions.
Seltzer, Frazier, and Rick (1996) note that some conservative scholars have argued that Black History and multicultural education result in dishonesty, with little academic credibility. Mattia (1992) states the following...