Black History Month

 I have not read any of the new history books that some schools are rejecting these days, and I understand that there have been recent revisions made to some of the books.  I don't think I have any more right to express an opinion than people who demand challenged books be removed from school and public libraries without first reading them. But I'm pretty sure the new history books are more informative than what I grew up with.  I was trying to remember what we learned about black people in the history books we used when I was in seventh and eighth grade, and even into high school.  Late 1950s to early 1960s.  Of course we learned that we (being in the north) were the heroes who freed the slaves, and there may have been a brief mention of the underground railroad, but the only reference I remember to an actual black person was to George Washington Carver.  He did amazing things with peanuts, including inventing peanut butter, and my teacher seemed to have great admiration for him.  I do remember being frustrated in eighth grade because we never got beyond WWII, even though there were more pages in the book.  I think I'll make it a goal this month to read at least one of these controversial history books.  As luck would have it, I'm going to the library tomorrow.  Perhaps I'll have a book review for you by the end of the month.