Should white teachers teach African-American history?

This controversy in a town close to me......

Oberlin - A black teacher will continue to teach African-American history at Oberlin High School, resolving an issue that has captured national attention.

The controversy began when a group of black parents learned this month that a white teacher might replace longtime teacher Kurt Russell, who is black. It prompted a loud debate about whether black teachers are more qualified than white teachers to teach African-American history. The Oberlin black parents said a black teacher brings more credibility, compassion and understanding to the topic than a white person can.

Your thoughts........

That's stupid...........
When you are a teacher,you are a TEACHER. You are not black or white or a rocker or a hippoe or whatever:you are just ateaacher.

That would mean my highschool history teacher was black white yellow red and she came from germany,britain, america,france,italy,poland and wherever!

It's just stupidness in my opinion and it's bringin' up racism where there is no racisms!

An honestly good question. (And a story I haven't heard here in NYC.)
The black Oberlin parents are not entirely wrong - only if you've lived in America as a black person can you truly understand what the experience has been like. You definitely bring personal experience to the class and that cannot be underestimated.

However, how many science teachers teach about outerspace yet have never gone up in a rocket? Do history teachers discussed the Holocaust have to be Jewish to teach it properly? Do history teachers discussing wartime activities have to be veterans? No. Could it add something to the course? Absolutely. Will it do a disservice to the topic? No. Because you're saying that no matter how hard one tries, they'll never be able to appreciate a topic unless they've lived it first hand. That's true to an extent, but not the extent that is makes them a lesser teacher on the topic.

Most important, there was no reason given as to why Kurt Russell was being replaced. All things being absolutely equal on all levels, I might say yes, having lived in American as a black man, Kurt Russell can bring someething extra to the job that a white teacher can't. However, we don't know that they're equal. We don't know the background. We don't know what the reasoning is for why they're replacing Mr. Russell. This is a GREY area. Ironic, eh?

Kurt Russell is black. Wow. Does Goldie Hawn know?

so by these peoples reasoning, no black teacher should be allowed to teach history that is predominantly white.

what alot of PC bullshit man.

exactly...this is the best way to see it!

Simple, yet exact.

Becky

I don't think it's PC though. If it were PC, the argument would be that anyone could teach equally. This is intentional preference on the part of the black community to have a black teacher teach the topic over a white teacher. That's reverse discrimination under the guise of inherent personal insights and experience to bring to the job. That's bullshit.

Again, there's no background story on why the tteachers were being swapped? There has to be some backstory.

to me not allowing a white teacher to teach black history is pc bullshit ont he basis that they seem to think only black people can or should be able to teach this.

i did history, my teacher wasn't scottish nor did she pick up a bayonet and kill some gerry in world war 2 but it doesn't mean she can't teach me about it does it?

Derek, this explanation was given in the paper today.

Tight finances forced the district to reduce its social studies department from three teachers to two. The same teacher had to teach the history class and U.S. government, but Russell was not certified to teach U.S. government, Superintendent Beverly Reep said.

Now, Russell is applying for a temporary certification, which will allow him to teach both classes, Reep said.

History is history, no matter who teaches it. If history is taught correctly it should be taught as in relaying facts, you therefore don't need someone who has lived through it.

Tash