no,they have 2 coaches in the super bowl and they should be happy about that they are both in february.

No because some "races" such as white people, don't even have a history month! At least they get one!

Excuse me, but what other races have "months" devoted to them? I may be ignorant but are there Indian "months", Irish "months, Chinese "months", Latin "months", Caucasian "months"...etc.. Cheated? no I don't think so.

No I dont, I think they are being cheated in the fact that there is a 'black history month' when there is no 'white history month' , 'brown history month', 'yellow history month' etc etc etc. I believe that using words like 'black this' and 'black that' makes people, who's ancestry comes from another country, seperate from the rest of the american population. It perpetuates racial stereotypes and pits one race against other races. People who's ancestry comes from africa should be considered just as equal and treated just the same as someone who's ancestry comes from england or germany or india or japan or wherever. People who ancestors came from Africa have contributed just as much as anyone else and the history books should reflect an equal balance of what is truthful historically. But a month called 'black history month' I think is ridiculous and I would think the same if they had any other color of skin history month. Perhaps we could have a month when we celebrate ALL nationalities of people that make up america because no matter how our ancestors got here... here we are and we are free to appreciate this great country.

I think black people are being cheated because when they finally get a month named to cover black history, they have to put up with high-pitched whining from whites who won't admit that white history is taught ALL the months of the school year, including February. Black history month was desperately needed when it was begun, and from the majority of the answers you've been getting to this question, it's obviously still desperately needed. There are other designated months, like Women's History Month (March) and Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15), but the latter doesn't inspire the kind of racist knee-jerk reaction that Black History Month does, probably because it is not as well-known. U.S. schools below the college level are usually limited to teaching U.S. History or "World History," which focusses almost exclusively on (white) European history. When the history of other regions is taught, it's usually taught in the context of white invasion and conquest of those regions. There is no lack of white history being taught. Black history, the history of other ethnic groups and the history of women, are still getting very short shrift in U.S. schools. Designating one month in which a special effort is made to teach about black history IN ADDITION to white history is no threat at all to the extreme emphasis on white history during the rest of the school year.

I'm fine with it a month is a month plus a lot of the other months are taken. I think it's funny how no one, except Ankhorite, seems to mention the other months like Asain Pacific American month(May), Womens History Month(March), and Hispanic Heritage Month(9/15-10/15). It's also funny how everyone make such a big fuss over Black History month but not the other heritage based months. Edit: Just found out that November is Native American Indian Heritage month and June is Caribbean-American Heritage month.

no theres no other race i've heard of that has a whole month dectacted to them. i know african americans have gone through alot but so have other races

No, at least they got a month well (28/29) days devoted to their history and art. They're should be praised after all they contributed to our world's society in music and expression throughout their art. So no, in my opinion they're not being cheated.

Everyday and month should be for everyone, it sounds a bit racist to have a month for one specific race of humans. It's just makes everyone else feel unappreciated. So in conclusion no race should have a month, day, year to themselves. Everyday is for everyone...

First, here's one of wikipedia.org's first sentences on the matter: "Mary Church Terrell began the practice of honoring Frederick Douglass on his February 14th birthday in 1900, according to her autobiography, in Washington DC." Okay, so on to more important matters: I am utterly amazed from reading these answers. Some time ago when I defended affirmative action in a separate question, I was destroyed by the nay-sayers. Then, too, was I surprised. It seems no one has empathy toward blacks. Yes, blacks have problems that they need to address, and respectable Americans of all races would agree. But there needs to be much stronger assistance from the government. The STILL-problematic Katrina situation is proof enough. Just as the Horatio Alger myth proved long ago, we Americans are more than eager to place blame on the victim rather than society as a whole. We see high crime rates for blacks and hastily attribute it all toward their own misbehavior. I strongly encourage anyone who agrees with that line of thinking to sit down with the facts as discovered by the scientific method. Look up "racial inequality" or "economic stratification" on the web (or better yet, in a book). Then consult only those links that you consider reputable. See the facts. All is NOT equal, as much as TV would like you to believe.

While I agree with the sentiments of the (few) people who argue that history in general is taught with a definite European bias and that just one month of black history is perhaps, not enough (to say nothing of Asian, Pacific, Native American, etc histories). I want to ask: don't you, and everyone else, feel cheated that the various historical perspectives are taught as separate and distinct narratives rather than one large, cohesive story? Why is it that most students go through school learning just one interpretation of history for 11/12's of the year and then, for just one month, are exposed to a different interpretation as if this one were the history of a totally different world? It's not that black people are cheated by only getting one month for their history, it's that everyone is being cheated by the deep and artificial divisions of historical persepctives.

Haha. Oh I've never thought about that. Being mostly black, I am just glad that we have a month acknowledging us.

You're kidding, right?

Woah! at least black people get a month of their own.

What nonsense. No this country wasn't built on blacks' backs. In fact US history indicates that they were mostly used in the farms, while manufacturing, a major economic engine, used immigrants from Ireland, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. Plus they are all welcome to go to Liberia, there is equality there. As far as culture there is only one thing blacks have created that's admirable - jazz. But they squandered it away with their tasteless, cultureless, and utterly moronic rap. In addition crime rates in inner cities are mostly due to higher black population. Dirt and squalor surrounding their houses just reminds you delicately of their roots - Africa. No we should not single out this ethnic group because there is nothing to single them out for. Oh and did you know that there were only 2 famous scientists that were black, two!?

The funny thing is I'm white and I was going to ask the same question just to watch the heated banter.

No

This is my favorite question ever.

You gotta be kidding me. Aren't there enough real problems without adding imagined slights? Anyway, if it were a longer month there might not be enough history to go around.

RASIST!

I think that in this day and age, black history month is unnecessary. History is history. It should be taught without the segregationist viewpoint.

Hell yeah they are!! It should be just as long as White History Month. Oh, wait... Nevermind.

i think black history month is fine, but its getting old. now that we have a black president, i think that its safe to say that black people now are fine and they can do anything they set their mind too. yes, the white men had you as slaves and all that ,but its over. thank you come again.

no, i think white people are being cheated because they don't have any month. doesn't categorizing something as "black history" only serve to further the divide between races.

What happened to American Indian Month? Talk about being short-changed.

ok let me compose myself here after cracking up, that is so messed up. I never thought of that. No, I dont think they are being cheated. Its the best month if you ask me.

Not at all. The original decision was made by by a Black for the month’s significance, not for its length. - From http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmintro1.html - ”We owe the celebration of Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history, to Dr. Carter G. Woodson.” - “Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. However, February has much more than Douglass and Lincoln to show for its significance in black American history.”

no if anyone is being cheated its white and indians we don't have a white history month or a indian history month