Opinion
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People's history is not their heritage.

KQED, the northern California public broadcasting station, sponsors a Bay Area Black History Month Local Hero Awards ceremony. It honors six "African-Americans" for their contributions to the community in tribute to Black History Month. This KQED policy is an example of thinking that does not get what Black History is about, or what it should be about.

Historians like Hope Franklin researched the past to uncover facts left out of the biased accounts of American history. Franklin wrote From Slavery to Freedom a researched history book that corrected many lies in American history books about kidnapped Africans and their descendants' role in America.

Franklin did much research and wrote many books and articles that earned him commendation as a historian. He tells how the lack of money almost prevented this career. Franklin did so well at Fisk University that Harvard University admitted him to its graduate school. It is a major achievement for anybody to earn acceptance into Harvard's graduate school. In Franklin's case it was an exceptional achievement for a 20 year-old student from a historical black college to do so during America's period of obsessive racial segregation.

Franklin's family did not have money during the American Depression to pay Harvard's tuition. When it looked like he may lose his opportunity a Fisk history professor stepped in as his mentor. Franklin describes him as a 32 year-old young white man who borrowed the money and gave it to him for tuition.

Franklin's mentor qualifies as a civic hero in every sense of the word. He would even qualify as a hero in the restricted category of people who promoted Black History. Nevertheless, he could not qualify as a KQED Black History Month hero, because of his skin color. All selected heroes since 2004 have been Americans with African ancestors.

KQED's standard for selecting civic heroes follows the race-based model previously used by writers who named only white males as heroes in American history. Therefore, it is a contradiction in terms to name the KQED ceremony a tribute to Black History or Black History Month.

KQED celebrates seven heritage months —African-American, American Indian, Asian Pacific American, Latino, Lesbian Gay Transsexual Pride, and women. It selects local heroes from each group during its heritage month. It is noteworthy fact that KQED did not include a heritage category for White Americans or for males. This means that KQED excludes men like Hope Franklin's pale-skinned mentor from all its heritage civic hero categories. It also shows agreement with the common presumption that pale-skinned males are American with American heritage without the need affirmation.

KQED's idea of heritage mirrors the ideas and social conditions that prevailed in early America. Then, only white males were Americans by birthright. Society treated everybody else as if from a different culture and of lesser stature, including white males' wives and daughters. So, KQED's heritage ceremonies do more to continue those old ideas of discrimination and racial segregation than they do to honor the research findings of Black History.

Black History is a record of what Americans with African ancestors did to regain their freedom from their kidnappers who enslaved them. It is also a record of their struggle to live as free people without racial discrimination. It is not a statement of their heritage—a birthright or custom. Rational Americans would never accept enslavement and racial discrimination for a customs or birthright, nor presume this heritage for other Americans. This KQED idea of a black heritage outside American culture agrees with the history that characterized their kidnapped ancestors as docile people accepting of their degraded status. However, the researched facts of Black History refute this claim.

Some Americans do claim African customs for their heritage. Too often, they use Black History to label their ancestors' African customs and to refer to their struggle against racial exclusion in America. As a result too many confused people end supporting policies of racial exclusion they should deplore.

KQED blurs the distinction between heritage and some peoples struggle against social exclusion when it assigns heritage based on skin color, gender and sexual orientation. Americans are born into the same culture no matter their gender, skin color or sexual orientation. The difference is that some of them face discrimination and exclusion this culture.

People can embrace any ideas of culture privately that support their self-image. However, they should not support any public program or public display that denies their American heritage. The candidates selected for the KQED heritage awards are hardworking, civic-minded people who deserve public recognition for their service. Ironically, the race-based nature of the ceremony that honors them also continues support for the ideas of racial exclusion that undermine their effort to improve American society.

Kenneth Brooks is a freelance writer and speaker. Contact him at P.O. Box 882, Vallejo, CA 94590. opinion@ethicalego.com