Headline: Don’t believe everything you hear

By Mauriel Clark

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The other day while at the library, I overheard a group of students ranting about how they thought that Black History Month was unfair to people of other races who have done important things. They also said that it would be more understanding if there was a White History Month because whites have done more for this country than blacks.

This is not the first time that I have heard comments such as these at Grand Valley. In fact, I have had many experiences like this, and have learned and accepted that things like this will be said. Instead of being outraged and reacting in an inappropriate manner, I took this as an opportunity to give them a little history lesson.

I gave them a bit of information that is vital to understanding how and why African Americans are a huge part of American history. Not only did these students not know most of the information that I shared with them, they realized that the schools they have attended in the past have taught them lies about American history.

After reflecting on this experience, I realized that it is not merely their fault on why they were so ignorant.

So who is to blame? I believe it is the schools that are to blame.

Basically, any school that gives false information about history is failing the students, and is a big reason why people are so ignorant.

Grand Valley happens to be one of those schools.

During my freshman year, I decided to take a beginner’s history class because I wanted to learn more about American history. It did not take me long to realize that I was not going to be learning what I expected to learn from this course.

Instead, I was told even more lies. The most shocking lie I was told was about the discovery of America, which was done by the famous Christopher Columbus. I think that I was mostly shocked because this is something that everyone should know as being false – there were people here before his voyage to America.

Surprisingly, no one is the class interjected and refuted what the professor was teaching. Instead, they continued to take notes.

Of course, I was the only person to speak up because I knew the professor was giving false information. Instead of the professor allowing me to share what I know to be factual, I was told that only the information in the book, whether true or not, is to be taught.

I was furious because not only did the professor basically tell me that the truth does not matter because it was not in the text, but also because I am paying money to be taught lies.

Obviously, the school system is failing students by not teaching the truth. It is up to students educate themselves through furthering their research, then teaching each other.

I use that philosophy with anything that I learn in the courses that I take, and so should everyone else. The information taught in these courses should not be accepted as the truth, because there is a complete disregard for the truth when it comes to what is being taught. It is up to the students to find out for themselves.