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Black History Month

Black History Month

Date: Feb 22 2008

Themes: Holidays, Pop Culture

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Black history is a very important part of American history. But it wasn’t always viewed that way. As African-Americans have struggled for equality, they have also struggled for recognition for those who came before them.

Since African-American history was largely ignored for a long time and not taught in schools, February is national Black History Month. The month serves to make sure that people like Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave and successful author, and Abraham Lincoln, the President who freed the slaves, aren’t forgotten.

Lincoln and Douglass were both born in February, which is how the month was chosen. But lots of other important moments in black history happened in February. Blacks were given the right to vote, and the first black senator was elected in February. It’s also the month that famous militant leader Malcolm X was assassinated.

But black history isn’t all politics. It’s also community. Listen to Devan and Beren talk about how Black History Month can make you think about the history of your neighborhood.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Devan

Devan

Beren:  So, uh, February’s Black History Month. I don’t know…Are there lots of events surrounding it? I’m aware, but only because I live in the section of the city where it’s predominantly African-Americans.

Devan:  I just started college so being in school makes you take a lot more note of it than I would normally. We’ve been discussing Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and the whole civil rights movement, but I feel like normal, working people don’t have a lot of exposure to the month and I think it’s important. I think there should be more activities in the community to celebrate it.

Beren:  Yeah, definitely. I think…I don’t know, especially in…where it’s predominantly African-American, they do…They have whole days devoted to different African-American history details like the history of the neighborhood, but I think people in the outer reaches have no idea what’s going on.

Devan:  That’s interesting. Are you going to partake in some of the events?

Beren:  Possibly.

 

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Discussion

Beren asks Devan if there are a lot of events going on for Black History Month. Devan isn’t sure, but she says that black history has been a topic of discussion at her school. She worries that people who aren’t in school might not notice that it’s Black History Month.

Beren says that she notices it’s Black History Month because there are celebrations in her neighborhood of the area’s black heritage.

What’s the history of your neighborhood? Is it tied to the history of your country?

 

Comments

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bill gates

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

first of all i would to say thanks to englishbaby for this information .
There is a famous proverb in my culture that say :- the nation that doesn’t have a history can not manage the future as very well .
Therefore america won’t to remmeber the history , will be never goes forward
thanks agian

04:59 PM Feb 22 2008 |

zeus2006

zeus2006Super Member!

Turkey

About Black History Month!!

First of all, they (African-Americans) still can't get their freedom, Yes you can say what about foreign minister or  candidate for nomination of new president.Okay, I look at all staff of government,parties and the others…I congratulate their big Black History Month.The other hands, what about Indian rights, they were living there before all immigrants who came from all over the world.Do they have any special day?Do they have any popular person who is in Politic field?But USA behaves as if it is a gendarme of the world!!! without to solve It's problem, it tries to teach freedom to world and it can nose into the other countries works even there is no any proof it can have the some law passed from its parliament about that countries's history.Why did USA go to Wietname, Afganisthan, Iraq Yuguslavia? It lost these wars overthere, but all Brodway's movies  have a heroism about this wars!!! Just I can say FUNNY….I like Kookoo's comment  here.''Read History,Learn your mistakes  and don't do it again'' And I want to add this: firstly solve your problem….

03:57 PM Feb 22 2008 |

nad1a

nad1a

Greece

What can I say? it was high time that something was done to raise people's awareness on such issues. After this lesson, I'm having the imipression that this part of American history has been disregarded so far, in America itself, which I find really strange. I mean,  in places like communist (then) Bulgaria (15-20 years back, when I was, like, in junior high) we would study and discuss similar issues, in both History (the American Revolution, civil rights movement and the Civil War, slavery etc ) and Literature classes (Uncle Tom's Cabin, for example) ... probably from a different angle and with a different purpose at the time lol but well …

I enjoyed the lesson though as my ex-hubby and father of my child is an African American.

03:41 PM Feb 22 2008 |

phoebe2008

China

...The history teaches me that freedom and equality are two most fantastic things in the world…Smile

02:31 PM Feb 22 2008 |

saudigirl

saudigirl

Saudi Arabia

intersting history.. :)

01:47 PM Feb 22 2008 |

N.Jack

N.Jack

China

I  know the part of the history .No matter which skin poeple have and they should own simple rights .

01:44 PM Feb 22 2008 |

kookoo

kookoo

China

Remember history, learn from history and never repeat history.

08:45 AM Feb 22 2008 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan's sinhaleese are one of the oldest nations in the earth having thousands of years of heritage.with due respect to all the nations i would say every one should get the equality in this earth. But unfortunately currently Sri lankan's sinhaleese are facing a problem of surviving in their own motherland because of terrorism.

06:50 AM Feb 22 2008 |

kaushalyats

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan’s sinhaleese are one of the oldest nations in the earth having thousands of years of heritage.with due respect to all the nations i would say every one should get the equality in this earth. But unfortunately currently Sri lankan’s sinhaleese are facing a problem of surviving in their own motherland because of terrorism.

06:50 AM Feb 22 2008 |

h_donyaei

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

when i was a student of highschool,there was a lesson about president lincoln and a sentence about him:he knew that the life of service is the only happy life.

06:14 AM Feb 22 2008 |

Dekler

Dekler

Kazakhstan

Very interesting both things was said by you, about China and USA.

Try to forgive them.
All written in the history.

02:59 AM Feb 22 2008 |

Richad198

Richad198

China

Lincoln really great !

02:41 AM Feb 22 2008 |

yangyujin

China

 we all don't forget those days which japanese have invaded our motherland  and  they have insulted our  people.

02:28 AM Feb 22 2008 |

fuwenhaozhonghao

China

GavinZheng, you are right .everyone in china remembers those days .

01:28 AM Feb 22 2008 |

shidongyao

shidongyao

China

To GavinZheng:
Yes,all of us will never forget the history.

01:28 AM Feb 22 2008 |

shidongyao

shidongyao

China

It sounds interesting..

01:22 AM Feb 22 2008 |

GavinZheng

GavinZheng

China

We have Anniversary of triumph of Anti-Janpanese War here in China, every single year. All of us know the history of this part, but some of Japanese people ignore it. What a shame~

01:10 AM Feb 22 2008 |

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