I thought I would never see the day. As some of you may know, last year the state of Maryland wrote a letter that stated that they had "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery. Many people on the flagship campus, University of Maryland, College Park, were disturbed that our president, Dr. C.D. Mote had very little to add to this discussion by way of an apology. Given the fact that UMCP was founded by Charles Calvert, who was a slave owner who donated some of his land to found the university, UMCP's ties are dripping in slavery.
Well Dr. Ira Berlin, Professor in the History Department here in UMCP, has decided to take this topic a couple of steps further. Renowned author of Slaves Without Masters: The Free Negro in the Antebellum South (1975) and Generations of Captivity: A History of Slaves in the United States(2002) has decided to turn this into a year long project for undergraduate students.
You heard me right, starting Fall 2008, 30 students will have the opportunity to take a year long course with Dr. Berlin studying Maryland's role in slavery. Call me a nerd, whatever, but I wish I was one of these 30 students. Come May 2009 perhaps Dr. Mote will have more to say since they will present their research to him.
I am excited and look forward to hearing about this project, and trying to sneak into a class. (Remember ..."Education is a companion which no misfortune can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate, no despotism can enslave.")
So my question for you, would you sign up for this year long class and what would you hope to get from it?
information from this article found in the Washington Post.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
About time? A Year long course to Investigate Maryland's role in Slavery
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
Call me a nerd too because I was so sign up for this class... Does anyone remember someone saying (sorry that is so elusive) that Camille Cosby attended UMCP as a freshman but got spit on walking across the mall so then transferred to Spelman (which is where all her money goes...)
Jackie, I agree UMCP is dripping with slavery, discrimination and separatism...it's bout time someone shove the evidence in Mote's face!
Joi-Marie
Proud UMCP alum!
I find it interesting that he would not apologize despite the obvious that slaves did have a role in the building of our University in some fashion. I would sign up for this class because the sooner we acknowledge the role of slaves in UMCP's history and Pres. Mote apologize we can move forward and progress with America recognizing the role of slaves in building our nation.
Maybe then we can unite and end the hidden discrimination and prejudice on this campus, next the world.
Interesting. I hope students sign up because it could be a fruitful endeavor. And a great research experience. Particularly for students of color.
Along those lines, new blog focusing on new scholarship and academic debates in the field of African diaspora history.
http://africandiasporastudent.wordpress.com/
Jessica Johnson
Doctoral Student
UMCP
I am sooooo sad that this course is offered right after I graduate. I am happy that we are progressing, I just wish that there were more options when I was in attendance...I agree on sneaking in on a class or two! Will Dr. Mote be in attendance, I feel like he avoids this topic at all costs!
I am not a MD ALum, however I have lived in the state for most of my life. For me, an Apology from the President would be a nice gesture, but symbolic and probably political at BEST. From what you all say, your President doens't support such issues, so would you really trust an apology as being genuine.
I am very happy to hear that a class like this is happening and would love to be a part of it. It does say something about the Leadership at MD to even approve such a class.
At the same time, I am thankful for all of the brothers and sisters, doing their own research and bringing such atrocities to light.
I also appreciate the support of studying the past, so we don't repeat it, but not getting bogged down in it and moving forward.
God Bless
DK-1
Concerned Bro. from PG
I think the class sounds great but I don't really understand what the relevance of an apology from the State of Maryland in general and UMCP President Mote specifically has to do with researching the "slave roots" of our campus. I think its known--maybe not well known--that the land was purchased from a slave owner and was plantation land. When the school was founded it was for white men only--no women, no coloreds.
But I doubt that any of the current Maryland legislators or President Mote were alive or part of the slavery that took place in MD at the time. Arguably, Pres. Mote has done no wrong to black people with regard to slavery and the effect of his apology would be political and, to me, would speak about his integrity and character. Apologizing for slavery at this point seems like a ploy to me--- almost pointless. We can all be sorry that that part of our history occured and that so many people were treated terribly... but what we really need to see the state and the University doing is making a commitment to treat people fairly without regard to their race TODAY. Apologies in this setting seem to only harbor the resentment that some people feel toward slavery...
The class is great, but I dont understand what presenting the findings to Pres. Mote will do. I doubt that he is unclear about the history of UMCP and I doubt that such a showing, no matter how treacherous, will encourage him to "go there" and make such a controversial "apology" statement in the name of UMCP.
I hope students who take the class use it only as an eye-opener and an enlightening personal experience, rather than a way to make a point.
Wow! I'd most definitely take this course and I'm actually interested in seeing the demographic that signs up for the course. Will it be only black folk? Only righteous minds? If there are white students, what will they be brave enough to contribute? It seems it would be a bit uncomfortable for them.
Then I ask, what is the purpose of the class? It's just a survey course outlining how the University was founded? Where the slave quarters were located, etc.? What will the assignments be? I'm intrigued!
As far as Dr. Mote offering an apology... I think that's far-fetched, yet desired by many it seems. I agree that he has only professional ties to the University and cannot take on the burden of any atrocities that were committed before his term there. We always want white folks to apologize! How many times can they apologize? And truthfully, what does their apology really mean? Not much, in my opinion. We have other issues to tackle...
Love the idea of the class! Can't wait to see the outcome!
Nicole
UMCP Alum
http://www.lifeissues.org/connector/2007/July07_AbortionAndSlavery.htm
Will we learn from the history of slavery?
I hope we do. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard.
It is interesting to read the comments before mine. While I am a PSU alum, it is very clear that our universities have similar histories. I would venture to say that UMCP has strided much further than PSU to be inclusive of the oppressed people of colors. This is evident by the fact that UMCP confers the highest number of degrees to Black students amongst Traditionally White Institutions.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that most schools, especially South of Mason-Dixon made their initial money for building infrastructure and built their educational foundations off the backs of our ancestors. Therefore id your university President does not know the UM history, it is his responsibility to learn ASAP. An apology is owed. While an apology is just that, the main reason this country is still split along racial boundaries (please do not think that just because Sen. Obama is Presidential front-runner that the problem is mysteriously solved) is due to the fact that no one really seems genuinely apologetic for the sacrifice of our ancestors in building this country including our educational system.
I look forward to talking with Jackie and finding out what new knowledge is created from the class.
HIST429I (PermReq) Special Topics in History: Knowing Our History: African American Slavery and the University of Maryland; (3 credits) Grade Method: REG/P-F/AUD.
0101(39445) Berlin, I. (Seats=25, Open=25, Waitlist=0) Books
MW........10:00am-11:15am (TLF 2110)
As a student at UMD, I think it's great that such a class is being offered, and I hope that many people enroll. I'm curious as to what their resources will be and just how they are to go about researching Maryland's role in slavery.
An apology is owed? Every white person in the United States of America, and every institution that had any ties to slavery, additionally every nation that had any ties to slavery could apologize.... AND THEN WHAT? What will we as a community gain from that? I'm really irritated with this notion that an apology is what we supposedly "need." People have been apologizing for centuries and it hasn't gotten us anywhere so why do we feel like centuries later, we want someone to stand up and say "I'm sorry." Keep your sorry. Just keep my men out of jail and my children properly educated. I could care less if you get up and say "I'm sorry." I personally feel that we need to get past that. It's not Mote's fault nor every white person walking around, yet they feel they have to just be so "apologetic." Shoot, apologize for what's going on NOW. And then fix it. How about that? Work at African American retention rates... THATS an apology. "I'm sorry for slavery. We owe ya'll," just seems so pathetic to me. I don't think a "genuine apology" will quell any resentment this country has regarding race or slavery. Not hardly. "The white people are genuinely sorry... Lets hold hands and sing now!" No.
Post a Comment