African American History

[Ulysses]

I ran across this story about a black history exam today. I won't say at this point how well I did on it, but perhaps that's not so much the point as each individual seeing the questions.

In any case, here's a link to the article, which contains the exam towards the end.

Enjoy!

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/o ... 878387002/

[billy.pilgrim]

And I could also design a test that nobody could pass. BS

[Ulysses]

And I could also design a test that nobody could pass. BS

According to the link, anyone who's taken a course in African-American history could easily pass the exam.

[Vrede too]

(signature: emesis-obsessed [ick] perseverating whining)

Awww.

[billy.pilgrim]

And I could also design a test that nobody could pass. BS

According to the link, anyone who's taken a course in African-American history could easily pass the exam.

BS, or maybe it's just another stupid memorization test.
From my slightly learned position.

[Ulysses]

And I could also design a test that nobody could pass. BS

According to the link, anyone who's taken a course in African-American history could easily pass the exam.

BS, or maybe it's just another stupid memorization test.
From my slightly learned position.

Well, that's what the site says.

I got 2 of 25 correct.

But it did interest me in black history.

[O Really]

Well, I'm happy to stipulate that most white people don't know much about black history. As such, the author's point is taken and accepted. Past that, though, the article and the test are so flawed, it's meaningless. Billy.P is right - anybody can make a test hardly anybody can pass. It wouldn't be hard to follow the form and content of this test to make one about white people's history that most white people couldn't pass. For starters, most standardized tests are mostly multiple-guess, which is way different from open end because it allows a test taker to recognize an answer rather than to recall it. So what gives black students a disadvantage on the standardized tests is the cultural aspects, not necessarily the factual ones. F'rinstance, if a question involved what to do when stopped by a cop and the answers were (a) smile and reach for your license; (b) put your hands on the wheel and wait quietly for the cop to approach; (c) jump out of the car to speak to the cop; (d) run - some black students might have a different answer from most white students.

But most of the questions on the article's test (which I got none right) requires both knowledge of somewhat obscure and in some cases trivial information, but also recall of that information. It's gonna be a very hard test for anybody - black, white, asian - and whether or not they've taken a black history course.

So yeah, it's nice to learn interesting things about other cultures, and if this article sparks further learning, it's good. Other than that, it doesn't teach very much.

Bonus question for the black or white people:
Who was Abraham Lincoln's first teacher's name, and what did they call his school?

Spoiler:

Zachariah Riney, at the "ABC" school

[billy.pilgrim]

Well, I'm happy to stipulate that most white people don't know much about black history. As such, the author's point is taken and accepted. Past that, though, the article and the test are so flawed, it's meaningless. Billy.P is right - anybody can make a test hardly anybody can pass. It wouldn't be hard to follow the form and content of this test to make one about white people's history that most white people couldn't pass. For starters, most standardized tests are mostly multiple-guess, which is way different from open end because it allows a test taker to recognize an answer rather than to recall it. So what gives black students a disadvantage on the standardized tests is the cultural aspects, not necessarily the factual ones. F'rinstance, if a question involved what to do when stopped by a cop and the answers were (a) smile and reach for your license; (b) put your hands on the wheel and wait quietly for the cop to approach; (c) jump out of the car to speak to the cop; (d) run - some black students might have a different answer from most white students.

But most of the questions on the article's test (which I got none right) requires both knowledge of somewhat obscure and in some cases trivial information, but also recall of that information. It's gonna be a very hard test for anybody - black, white, asian - and whether or not they've taken a black history course.

So yeah, it's nice to learn interesting things about other cultures, and if this article sparks further learning, it's good. Other than that, it doesn't teach very much.

Bonus question for the black or white people:
Who was Abraham Lincoln's first teacher's name, and what did they call his school?

Spoiler:

Zachariah Riney, at the "ABC" school

Thank you

[neoplacebo]

The current Republican party in this country is totally against black history and wants it banned, cancelled, stomped, and forgotten. And they want to take a wire brush to white history to make it as white as possible. I'm starting to think they're getting history and justice mixed up; one of them is supposed to be blind and it ain't history.

[Ulysses]

The current Republican party in this country is totally against black history and wants it banned, cancelled, stomped, and forgotten. And they want to take a wire brush to white history to make it as white as possible. I'm starting to think they're getting history and justice mixed up; one of them is supposed to be blind and it ain't history.

True.

Too bad you and I appear to be the only ones here to appreciate that.

[Vrede too]

(gibberish)

[Ulysses]

[Vrede too]

(gibberish)

Big of you to admit being a lunatic.

[Ulysses]

[Vrede too]

(gibberish)

Big of you to admit being a lunatic.

(more gibberish)

Point proven, mad boy, thanks!

[Ulysses]

Apparently there's no way to get our Nurse Ratshit to shut the fuck up.

Sad.

[Vrede too]

Apparently there's no way to get our Nurse (Vrede too) to shut the fuck up.

Sad.

Get a 4th grader to explain your gibberish signature to you.

Sad.

[billy.pilgrim]

The current Republican party in this country is totally against black history and wants it banned, cancelled, stomped, and forgotten. And they want to take a wire brush to white history to make it as white as possible. I'm starting to think they're getting history and justice mixed up; one of them is supposed to be blind and it ain't history.

True.

Too bad you and I appear to be the only ones here to appreciate that.

Whatever gives you that idea?

[Ulysses]

The current Republican party in this country is totally against black history and wants it banned, cancelled, stomped, and forgotten. And they want to take a wire brush to white history to make it as white as possible. I'm starting to think they're getting history and justice mixed up; one of them is supposed to be blind and it ain't history.

True.

Too bad you and I appear to be the only ones here to appreciate that.

Whatever gives you that idea?

Just going on the sentiments expressed so far. Do you agree with Neo?

[neoplacebo]

The current Republican party in this country is totally against black history and wants it banned, cancelled, stomped, and forgotten. And they want to take a wire brush to white history to make it as white as possible. I'm starting to think they're getting history and justice mixed up; one of them is supposed to be blind and it ain't history.

True.

Too bad you and I appear to be the only ones here to appreciate that.

Whatever gives you that idea?

It's some kind of wiring glitch in the brain along with intermittent misfiring of key synapses involved with higher thought processing. The only cure (and it's never entirely successful) is a rat's ass poultice applied daily to the top and back of the head for a period of two months. Who agrees with me?