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brown university
culture
Brown University Faculty Votes To Hijack History
Joshua ChaneyPosted: Apr 14th 2009 9:50PM
Filed under: Culture, Breaking News, News, Brown University, Microtrends on Campus, American University, Muskingum CollegeAn obsession with political correctness at American universities has rapidly become a national phenomenon in recent years. A few colleges have really taken it too far.
Brown University's faculty voted last week to rename Columbus Day "Fall Weekend" on the University's calendar, a move that apparently was in step with the wishes of students according to a poll by the college newspaper The Brown Daily Herald. The poll revealed a majority of students disapproved of continuing to call the holiday Columbus Day.
The decision came after weeks of pressure from student groups proposing change.
American University's Undergraduate Senate passed a similar resolution a few years ago declaring the holiday "Indigenous People's Day" instead.
Columbus Day is named of course after Christopher Columbus, the man incorrectly attributed with discovering North America. As we know today, Columbus was tied to the enslavement and abuse of native inhabitants of the West Indies. Columbus Day has been celebrated since 1971.
But really, Columbus Day? It seems strange that academics would be so willing to hijack history for the sake of an extremist obsession to purify it. Owning a history book doesn't give one the right to rewrite it, however. Columbus Day still exists as does U.S. history in its entirety - dark spots as well as bright.
The faculty might have instead used the day instead to ... oh, I dunno, teach? Since when is it an acceptable standard in American academia to ignore history instead of use its errors as a basis to teach and educate?
"Brown University made itself an example to the nation by carefully exploring its ties to the slave trade and using that process to promote greater understanding," Providence mayor David Cicilline, a 1983 graduate of Brown, said in a press release last week. But the decision to "simply erase the celebration of an incredibly significant moment in world history and Italian-American culture for the sake of political correctness does just the opposite," he added.
While Columbus might not be credited now with being the first person to discover America, many Italian-American organizations still credit Columbus, an Italian explorer, as a major historical influence on western civilization's introduction to a new part of the world.
Providence newspaper columnist Bob Kerr called the decision "detached," especially because of the large number of Italian descendants residing in Providence. Rush Limbaugh also opined on the decision, attacking the students who urged for the change.
One Brown student said Columbus is "undeserving of a holiday." Another said "what they teach us in elementary school is misleading - hero worshiping."
The decision was "a progressive step," he added.
I couldn't disagree more. The most feasible part of the students' argument is that Columbus wasn't deserving of the holiday in the first place. But what is certain is that the holiday is also is a yearly reminder of how far we've come. It provides a basis on which teachers can educate their students.
A much greater injustice is done in ignoring the sacrifices made at the hands of the ignorant. Their story deserves to be told, not swept under the rug and the best way to do that is for Columbus Day to remain untouched. It is not an elementary teacher's place to go all philosophical on an 8-year-old, and I don't think children are educated to idolize Columbus - at least I wasn't.
At a higher level of learning, the flaws of such individuals need to be observed and critiqued.
The decisions by both American University and Brown University were more accurately in step with those attempting to censor historical scars, and call it cliche, but those who ignore history are, indeed, destined to repeat it.
Brown University's faculty voted last week to rename Columbus Day "Fall Weekend" on the University's calendar, a move that apparently was in step with the wishes of students according to a poll by the college newspaper The Brown Daily Herald. The poll revealed a majority of students disapproved of continuing to call the holiday Columbus Day.
The decision came after weeks of pressure from student groups proposing change.
American University's Undergraduate Senate passed a similar resolution a few years ago declaring the holiday "Indigenous People's Day" instead.
Columbus Day is named of course after Christopher Columbus, the man incorrectly attributed with discovering North America. As we know today, Columbus was tied to the enslavement and abuse of native inhabitants of the West Indies. Columbus Day has been celebrated since 1971.
But really, Columbus Day? It seems strange that academics would be so willing to hijack history for the sake of an extremist obsession to purify it. Owning a history book doesn't give one the right to rewrite it, however. Columbus Day still exists as does U.S. history in its entirety - dark spots as well as bright.
The faculty might have instead used the day instead to ... oh, I dunno, teach? Since when is it an acceptable standard in American academia to ignore history instead of use its errors as a basis to teach and educate?
"Brown University made itself an example to the nation by carefully exploring its ties to the slave trade and using that process to promote greater understanding," Providence mayor David Cicilline, a 1983 graduate of Brown, said in a press release last week. But the decision to "simply erase the celebration of an incredibly significant moment in world history and Italian-American culture for the sake of political correctness does just the opposite," he added.
While Columbus might not be credited now with being the first person to discover America, many Italian-American organizations still credit Columbus, an Italian explorer, as a major historical influence on western civilization's introduction to a new part of the world.
Providence newspaper columnist Bob Kerr called the decision "detached," especially because of the large number of Italian descendants residing in Providence. Rush Limbaugh also opined on the decision, attacking the students who urged for the change.
One Brown student said Columbus is "undeserving of a holiday." Another said "what they teach us in elementary school is misleading - hero worshiping."
The decision was "a progressive step," he added.
I couldn't disagree more. The most feasible part of the students' argument is that Columbus wasn't deserving of the holiday in the first place. But what is certain is that the holiday is also is a yearly reminder of how far we've come. It provides a basis on which teachers can educate their students.
A much greater injustice is done in ignoring the sacrifices made at the hands of the ignorant. Their story deserves to be told, not swept under the rug and the best way to do that is for Columbus Day to remain untouched. It is not an elementary teacher's place to go all philosophical on an 8-year-old, and I don't think children are educated to idolize Columbus - at least I wasn't.
At a higher level of learning, the flaws of such individuals need to be observed and critiqued.
The decisions by both American University and Brown University were more accurately in step with those attempting to censor historical scars, and call it cliche, but those who ignore history are, indeed, destined to repeat it.
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Darkwench
3:10PM 3:10PM Apr 18th 2009
To the student who said that it was correct to do this because "Hero worship is wrong," a question...
Does this mean we can get rid of Martin Luther King day too?
My gosh if a school did that it would be all over every news station in America! Every Newspaper, radio station! Splashed all over the web!
You wouldn't be able to blink your eyes or take a breath without hearing Rev. Jackson or Rev. Sharpton screaming the injustice of it all from the roof tops!
The problem with people that are in schools like Brown, well, they think they know everything already. But if that were true, couldn't they save their parents (most of which are paying for their schooling) a ton of money by not going? I mean, they know it all, right?
Wait until they learn about the real world.
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Matt
8:57PM 8:57PM Apr 15th 2009
Christopher Columbus discovered the foundation of the America that exist today. Now as a person with some Native American ancestry sure I do not like how Native Americans were treated and treated now, but history is history. Extreme Political Correct mindsets find a fault with everything. A man tastefully compliments a woman, beware you could face Sexual Harassment charges.
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geo
9:40AM 9:40AM Apr 16th 2009
Boy, am I glad my child did not go to Brown. What a bunch of elitists. That's going to change the world, doing away with Columbus day.
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Al
10:21AM 10:21AM Apr 16th 2009
Anything that Rush is for I have to be against.
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Le WIlhelm
1:41PM 1:41PM Apr 16th 2009
Brown is nothing but an elitist pig sty. Elitist little rich pigs go there who think they are better than everyone else. Daddy and Mommy or some high placed "friend" allow them to have the best and feel superior. If they weren't frigging hypocrites they'd leave Brown and go to a State University and live like the rest of the world. Silver spoons in your mouth, and daddy's big bank account does not guarantee that you are not hypocrits of the first order. In fact it probably contributes to that very thing.
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richard fusilier
10:39AM 10:39AM Apr 17th 2009
Who does Brown U. day the "Picts" were? I say that they were Beothuks.
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MICKI
3:35PM 3:35PM Apr 16th 2009
HISTORY WHETHER GOOD OR BAD, PRETTY OR UGLY NEEDS TO BE RECORDED ACCURATLY WITH ALL OF ITS DETAILS.
WE MAY THINK WHAT HAPPENED BACK ? IS HORRIBLE, AND IT PROBABLY WAS, BUT THE CULTURE WAS DIFFERENT BACK THEN TOO. WHAT WE DO IN TODAYS WORLD WOULD SHOCK AND HORRIFY THOSE PEOPLE OF HISTORIES PAST.
HIDING BEHIND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACTS THAT OCCURED BACK THEN.
HIDING BEHIND POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS DANGEROUS TO, AND FOR SOCIETY. IT TAKES THINGS THAT ARE WRONG AND SUGAR-COATS IT WITH PRETTY WORDS SO THAT IT SEEMS TO MAKE IT OK WHEN ITS NOT. YOU ARE LULLED INTO A SENSE OF WELL BEING THAT EVERYTHING IS OK.
WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, YOU MAY JUST BE LULLED INTO HAVING YOUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS YOU NOW ENJOY INTO BEING TAKEN AWAY BY THE "POLITICALY CORRECT" LANGUAGE, AND NOT EVEN KNOW IT UNTIL ITS TOO LATE.
BEWARE OF THOSE WHO TRY AND RE-WRITE HISTORY TO BE POLITICALY CORRECT, AS THEY MAY HAVE ANOTHER MORE SINISTER AGENDA IN MIND !!!
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Mike Kauffman
4:03PM 4:03PM Apr 16th 2009
The contributor who wrote that all holidays have a dark side - that is correct.
Should we do away with Colombus Day? I would vote YES!!
This will be part of the CHANGE that our President promised!
We can eliminate Columbus Day as a holiday. We can make it a regular work day - for everyone - Think about how much more productive the USA will become.
(I would, of course, hope that if Brown University has celebrated Columbus Day as a holiday in the past, that they would hold classes on Columbus Day in the future.)
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Ed
4:46PM 4:46PM Apr 16th 2009
Any plans to rename Black History Month? Didn't think so.
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Gort, g\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
4:44PM 4:44PM Apr 16th 2009
By this moronic logic, Brown U. should call itself African-American U. All this bullsh*t is pushing this nation down the crapper.
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bruce
9:25PM 9:25PM Apr 16th 2009
Not surprising seeing how ultri liberal colleges are today. Right winged Dems, sure they all voted for Obama too. Liberals always changing history to suit their agenda. Changing something that happend that long ago. Wonder what is next that they will mess up. Guess I don't recommend anyone going to Brown
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davis10oregon1
11:38AM 11:38AM Apr 17th 2009
IF THE HISTORICAL FACTS ARE NOT ACTUALLY THE TRUTH,SHOULD THE NONE TRUTH STILL STAND AS THE FACT ?
THIS IS AKIN TO STILL TEACHING THERE ARE NINE ( 9 ) PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, WHEN IN FACT THE COUNT IS DOWN TO EIGHT ( 8 ). DON`T ASK ME IF THE HISTORY BOOKS ARE NOW PRINTED TO READ AS SUCH. GO ASK MR.PLUTO. YEP ! THAT WOULD BE THE RIGHT. THE ONE FROM CARTOON FAME, HE WILL HAVE ALL THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR YOU.
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Steve Wheaton
9:27PM 9:27PM Apr 18th 2009
Actually, the correct term for changing history is called deconstructionism. Why not? The once-and-future Soviet Union were masters at it and the United States is running pell-mell towards embracing our new comrades. Viva Fidel! Viva Che!
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Sharon H
12:43AM 12:43AM Apr 19th 2009
I love that Brown U. students are getting history right. Columbus did not discover America, the Indigenous Americans were already here. They just weren’t “white” enough for the Europeans to recognize them. Other problems are that he first landed in Jamaica and thought he was in India, hence the name Indians for the Indigenous Americans. Then since he was wrong, it has to be clarified that they are American Indians because the Indians are in India. Many people get his nationality wrong, because he was backed by the Spanish Crown. Also, his name was not Columbus, his name has been “Americanized” (or actually distorted). So of course no one has family gatherings on this day to celebrate this holiday (as someone else commented), because it is a holiday erroneously named in more ways than one. As a 3rd generation American of European heritage, even I see how demeaning it must be for Native Americans to recognize a European that got here thousands of years after they did and claim that he discovered it. Maybe if the name is changed, it will be one step in helping to bring some real significance to the day.
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TEXAN
2:51PM 2:51PM Apr 19th 2009
Given that Brown was actually Built by Slaves, and that the Brown fortune was made in the Slave Trade...seems that the University should first consider changing its own name to get rid of such historically shameful baggage. But wait, that would mean they had to print new stationery and the kids would all need new T-shirts. Another example of elitist rich overindulged American kids who are educated beyond their common sense.
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Mike da Bronx
2:49PM 2:49PM Apr 21st 2009
What are the PC-addled Brown students going to call Columbia U?
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Donna
3:56PM 3:56PM Apr 24th 2009
While it certainly was the faculty that cast the votes that will allow for the change it appears to be that it was the students that called for the change and, if the poll is accurate, supported the change.
Furthermore, this in no way hijacks or rewrites history anymore than Lincolns Birthday and Washingtons Birthday being condensed into Presidents Day hijacks or rewrites history. One is still the guy who was the first president. The other is still the guy who got assassinated and Columbus is still the guy who did whatever he did.
I suppose the purpose of the title was to once again demonize the concepts of liberalism and higher education with things that actually are harmful (such as elitism and historical revisionism.)
With regard to the name change I am not sure what to think. Can you be fair to everybody? On the one hand you have people who may genuinely be offended because their ancestors suffered at the hands of Columbus. However, by changing the name of the holiday you offend people who consider it part of the cultural heritage in a way that probably really does not have anything to do with Columbus (please correct me if I am wrong about the importance of Columbus to Italians.)
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Mike da Bronx
3:06PM 3:06PM Apr 21st 2009
The name "Columbus" was not "Americanized" or distorted. It was "Latinized". Like "Copericus" or "Confucius". And the students are not "getting history right". They're a bunch of elitist rich punks who need to get their PC on in order to "feel good about themselves".
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Rick
6:25PM 6:25PM Apr 23rd 2009
What is the old saying? Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it. Eventually our history will be erased along with the mistakes. I know personally that I learn best through my own mistakes as well as the mistakes of others past and present. Once a generation matures with a bleached out history and takes the reins of power this country, or whatever it will be by then can look to make a lot of mistakes that other people have fought, lived through and died for and because of those mistakes. How cheerful to think about that future, thank you Brown U.
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serobinson2
5:47AM 5:47AM Apr 25th 2009
After reading the article and viewing the posts that obviously have been written by some educated and articulate people I'm left with a feeling of what's the point. Considering the amount of time spent on this starting from the students lobbying for the change, clear up to this post, and everything that took place in between its a shame nothing will change. Other than spoiled rich kids, questionable reasoning skills from Brown U professors and varying opinions of the man himself C Columbus this story went nowhere. Trying to get something positive out of this time waster was difficult. If the article is read utilizing a conspiracy theorist point of view it could make an interesting movie or novel. Rich, powerful and connected families sending their children to expensive elite schools that offer a Masters degree in something so secretive its existence is denied at the highest levels and can't be prov en to exist. Their educated and groomed to be movers and shakers at the highest levels of society and government. Fraud, deception, manipulation, bribery, intimidation and how to spin any issue to their favor while never revealing the truth behind their actions and never let anyone know the extent of their involvement. Doing away with Columbus day was nothing more than the second year final exam. A student had to convince others to take on his cause while selectively presenting only information he wants reviled. His initial recruits push his agenda as if it were their own and as the supporters grow so does his power and influence until he is able to convince the professors one by one that it is in their best interest to see things his way. The professors wouldn't want to jeopardize their reputations by being the only person that openly supports slavery. They know this isn't the real issue but find it's easier to agree then to argue a point they can't win once the spinning starts. Agreeing will keep them safe from the confrontations that will follow if they disagree. With hundreds of supporters and the professors in his pocket he has changed the name of a national holiday. When the pubic found out they did as expected and argued with each other laying the blame on the professors and dismissed the master mind as nothing more than a stupid spoiled rich kid too dumb to understand what he's doing. The student aces his final and this part of his education will serve him well later in life as he confronts government officials and controls the public. Conspiracy theorist quickly press the panic button.
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