In this information overloaded twenty-first century, it seems impossible to fully discern or explain how we know about the past. But two things are certain. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we all think historically on a routine basis. And our perceptions of history, including African American history, have not necessarily been shaped by professional historians. In this wide-reaching and timely book, Pero Gaglo Dagbovie argues that public knowledge and understanding of black history, including its historical icons, has been shaped by institutions and individuals outside academic ivory towers. Drawing on a range of compelling examples, Dagbovie explores how, in the twenty-first century, African American history is regarded, depicted, and juggled by diverse and contesting interpreters—from museum curators to film-makers, entertainers, politicians, journalists, and bloggers. Underscoring the ubiquitous nature of African American history in contemporary American thought and culture, each chapter unpacks how black history has been represented and remembered primarily during the “Age of Obama,” the so-called era of “post-racial” American society. Reclaiming the Black Past: The Use and Misuse of African American History in the 21st Century is Dagbovie’s contribution to expanding how we understand African American history during the new millennium.
Оглавление
Pero G. Dagbovie. Reclaiming the Black Past
Reclaiming the Black Past
Contents
Introduction. The Enduring Mystique of Black History
1 “None of Our Hands Are Entirely Clean” Obama and the Challenge of African American History
2. Honoring “The Gift of Black Folk” The Contested Meaning of Black History Month
3. Dramatizing the Black Past. Twenty-first Century Hollywood Portrayals of Black History
4 “Everything Is Funny?” Humor, Black History, and African American Comedians
5 “So Long in Coming” Political and Legal Attempts to Right Past Wrongs
Afterword. Displaying the Black Past
Notes
Index
Отрывок из книги
The Use and Misuse of African AmericanHistory in the Twenty-first Century
Pero Gaglo Dagbovie
.....
From time to time, Obama gave nods to abolitionists and early twentieth century black historical icons, but his favorite historical role models came of age as activists and leaders during the 1950s and 1960s, like Congressman John Lewis and, of course, Martin Luther King Jr. Other civil rights champions that he paid tangential tributes to include Shirley Chisholm, Diane Nash, Julian Bond, Thurgood Marshall, Fred Shuttlesworth, and C. T. Vivian.
Obama hailed Lewis as “somebody who captures the essence of decency and courage, somebody who I have admired all my life.” He added, “and were it not for him, I’m not sure I’d be here today.” He routinely reminded his black listeners, especially those from the millennial hip-hop generation, that they could learn a lot from the sacrifices of John Lewis who was but “a twenty-five-year-old activist when he faced down billy clubs on the bridge in Selma and helped arouse the conscience of our nation.” Obama told members of the NAACP in Cincinnati that he modeled his life after those who had paved the way for him. He explicitly placed himself in the context of black leadership history. “I turned down more lucrative jobs,” he announced while reflecting upon his community organizing in Chicago, “because I was inspired by the civil rights movement and wanted to do my part in the ongoing battle for opportunity in this country.”33
