February 1, 2009

Black History Month is finally here!

Funny, though, it doesn't seem like it has been eleven long months since Black History Month. In fact, it seems like the media was celebrating Black History Month round-the-clock only one or two weeks ago. Indeed, it seems that way every time Black History Month rolls around. I guess time flies ...

My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reading that linked UPI article was getting me pretty worked up until I realised that you were the author and it was definitely a send-up. Is it any wonder that they dispensed with your services?

Anonymous said...

Get with the program. The age of Obama has already produced tangible benefits. We have recovered back taxes that we never would have seen from two Obama Cabinet nominees. And Obama has singe-handedly reformed Illinois state government by dangling a temptation, his own Senate Seat, in front of a governor who, Obama divined, could not resist temptation.

The One works in mysterious ways, but produces results.

And His cult is expanding, at least here in Washington. I went down to our Local Lefty Bookstore last night to hear a New York Times reporter apologize to the LLB audience for the Times' not being sufficiently lefty in its reporting. The reporter was introduced by the LLB owner, Carla Cohen, who was wearing a piece of cloth around her neck and down her chest. It looked exactly like the stole priests wear at Catholic masses, except it was purple and had OBAMA embroidered in gold down each side. Apart from me, I do not think anyone found this a little weird.

Anonymous said...

Black Invention Myths

Perhaps you've heard the claims: Were it not for the genius and energy of African-American inventors, we might find ourselves in a world without traffic lights, peanut butter, blood banks, light bulb filaments, and a vast number of other things we now take for granted but could hardly imagine life without.

Such beliefs usually originate in books or articles about black history. Since many of the authors have little interest in the history of technology outside of advertising black contributions to it, their stories tend to be fraught with misunderstandings, wishful thinking, or fanciful embellishments with no historical basis. The lack of historical perspective leads to extravagant overestimations of originality and importance: sometimes a slightly modified version of a pre-existing piece of technology is mistaken for the first invention of its type; sometimes a patent or innovation with little or no lasting value is portrayed as a major advance, even if there's no real evidence it was ever used.

Unfortunately, some of the errors and exaggerations have acquired an illusion of credibility by repetition in mainstream outlets, especially during Black History Month (see examples for the traffic light and ironing board). When myths go unchallenged for too long, they begin to eclipse the truth. Thus I decided to put some records straight. Although this page does not cover every dubious invention claim floating around out there, it should at least serve as a warning never to take any such claim for granted.

Each item below is listed with its supposed black originator beneath it along with the year it was supposedly invented, followed by something about the real origin of the invention or at least an earlier instance of it.

Anonymous said...

Here in Toronto, it's Black History Month year-round. Or at least, I can't step out of the local drugstore or walk down University Avenue without getting bothered by black guys peddling their "Black History" pamphlet.

Back in November, just before Election Eve, the high-pressure sales pitch (and my own curiosity) finally got the better of me, and I "donated" $2 for a copy.

For those who are interested, I've blogged a summary of the Farrakhan-inspired ideology contained in those sixteen photocopied, reality-twisting pages: Black History.

Anonymous said...

At least Black History Year - scratch that - Month has some substance behind it.

Let's not forget Hispanic History Month.

The local supermarket chain is owned by Safeway Stores of California. It "celebrates" all the various ethnic pride months. The most infuriating incident was last year when placards were posted throughout the store. On them were the photo and bio of the illegal alien who became a famous doctor in Los Estados Unidos. This doctor was profiled on VDARE.

My blood still boils over this one.

James Kabala said...

Frank: I've been reading Sailer long enough to remember when that article was first published, and maybe I'm naive, but I never thought it was anything less than serious. In fact, I feel kind of deceived if it was not.

Stopped Clock said...

to Frank: I liked the VDare version better. Longer and much funnier.

Andrew said...

Should you risk delays by postponing important meetings that would otherwise be scheduled for the third Monday in January? Or do you go ahead and make crucial decisions with few of your black staff in the room?

I love that this got published!!

Glaivester said...

The only other man to have a holiday on his birthday is Jesus Christ.

And even that is almost certainly not celebrated on or around his actual birthday (the presence of shepherds near the town suggests that he was likely born in the spring).

Anonymous said...

Re: the UPI article. I suggested to Steve at the time he wrote it that a better way to move a black-related holiday to late summer is to forget MLK and honor Marcus Garvey (b. 8/17/1887) instead.

Whether blacks would go along I don't know, but it would be warmly embraced by the other 87% of the population.

Re: BH Month. Since the length of ethnic celebrations seems to be inversely proportional to their global contributions, let me propose Anglo-Saxon History Second. This can be observed around the world at tea time in Greenwich.

However, this might be uncomfortable in Melbourne or Wellington, not to mention Oahu, over which the Union Jack has flown since 1776. So an alternate ASHSec can be observed when tea time comes to the International Date Line.

Anonymous said...

Americans work too much anyway. Rather than move MLK Day, let's add a second holiday, to be called Diversity Day, to celebrate Vibrancy, Multiculturalism and, well, Diversity.

Anonymous said...

Even George Washington and Abe Lincoln had their birthdays collapsed together into the generic Presidents' Day.

Calendar makers all seem to call it President's Day. Even my own local newspaper seems to think it's called President's Day. But in fact it is still officially "Washington's Birthday" according to the federal government and most states.

The only other man to have a holiday on his birthday is Jesus Christ.

Columbus has a day, though no but deer hunters obsess about not getting that day off. And of course it's not on his birthday, either.

Should you risk delays by postponing important meetings that would otherwise be scheduled for the third Monday in January? Or do you go ahead and make crucial decisions with few of your black staff in the room?

Tell me you were laughing hysterically when you wrote that.

All in all I like it in January - it gives me a valid excuse for not celebrating a holiday for a man whose late 60s politics I detest. And if we're going to celebrate black rights why not acknowledge the 600,000 Americans whose deaths made them possible?

MLK Day is not about honoring King - it's just another grievance day to honor radical left wing politics.

Anonymous said...

When I was in the Army my company was assembled one late January afternoon for a brief formation in which important information was dispensed. The First Sergeant mentioned that the mess hall would be celebrating Black History Month, by serving special African American menu items throughout that February. He concluded by saying "I hope you like bacon grease."
Not that that story is apropos of anything.

Anonymous said...

Why not just combine MLK day with Christmas, as we already worship King as some kind of savior anyway.

As for celebrating black history month, I for one will be rewatching one of my favorite documentaries:

http://www.negrospaceprogram.com/

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, some of the errors and exaggerations have acquired an illusion of credibility by repetition in mainstream outlets,
------------------

Yes, this is the real crime. Since the early 1970s, the most preposterous books touting these exaggerations and often downright lies have found their way from the lorries of street vendors, into libraries, into classrooms, and into TV "documentaries." The youngest, most impressionable children are now subjected to these half-tales and wishful thinking.
-- Victoria

Anonymous said...

"All in all I like it in January - it gives me a valid excuse for not celebrating a holiday for a man whose late 60s politics I detest. And if we're going to celebrate black rights why not acknowledge the 600,000 Americans whose deaths made them possible?"

White revisionists are the most annoying debasers of American history. Now the Johnny Reb guys who died are advancers of black rights?

m said...

wtf- of course it's serious. Steve has got to get the admittedly few ideas he has that the public can consume out there...

all throughout the internet the only people I seek out are Steve, Coulter, and Derb...losing interest in Steyn and Nordlinger but they still rate....

Steve needs to relate to as many as possible and I think this upi bit reached 20x more than this blog

Anonymous said...

Mark Steyn at Steynonline has a very good example of what Black history could be like.

Richard

Anonymous said...

White revisionists are the most annoying debasers of American history. Now the Johnny Reb guys who died are advancers of black rights?

No, but they sure as hell paid a price for defending slavery.