Dive into the unexpected roots of Black History Month in the Philippines. Join your friendly Pinoy Historian, Kirby Araullo, on a journey through the intertwined struggles for freedom across oceans. From the influence of iconic figures like Carter G. Woodson to the inspiring tales of unity and resistance, let’s uncover the hidden ties that link our histories. Subscribe and be part of uplifting history's untold tales. 🔔 Subscribe: http://goo.gl/yDgQmK 🎥 Be my Patron: https://www.patreon.com/kirbynoodle 📚 My books, ebooks, coloring books, merch etc. - https://www.kirbyaraullo.com/shop Related Videos & Playlists: ✊🏽 African Americans in Filipino History: https://bit.ly/BlackHistoryPH 🔥 Philippine Revolutions & Independence: http://bit.ly/KalayaanPH 🇵🇭 Precolonial & Early Philippine History https://bit.ly/EarlyPhilippines Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:48 Background 01:35 The American Education in the Philippines: A Tool for Imperialism? 03:20 The Thomasites: Agents of Cultural Assim

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Did you know that Black History Month has roots in the Philippines?

How exactly did the American occupation of the Philippines influence prominent African-American thinkers like Carter G. Woodson?

And what does it have to do with the creation of Black History Month?

And what does it really mean for us today? Let's dig deeper!

Mabuhay! Or in Kapampangan, Luwid kayo!

Welcome back to my channel! It's me, Kirby Araulio, your friendly Pinoy historian.

And in this channel, I make videos about our people's history, culture, and everything in between.

So if you like learning about any of these things, don't forget to like, share this video, comment down below, and please subscribe!

So it's February, and while we celebrate Black History Month here in the US, very few know about its surprising connection to the Philippines.

So in this video, let's dive into the forgotten yet intriguing intersections between Black and Filipino histories.

And uncover the ties that bind our people.

In today's journey, we explore the intertwined histories of Filipinos and African-Americans,

woven together under the shadows of imperialism.

We're delving into a complex paradox, the American education system in the Philippines,

a guise of benevolence masking a deeper agenda.

This history is rich in its complexity, highlighting not just the oppression,

but also the resilience and the enduring spirit of our communities.

So let's explore how the miseducation,

of a nation resonated across continents, impacting the life of Carter G. Woodson,

whose legacy transcends borders and time.

In the twilight of war, the United States, cloaked in the guise of benevolence,

embarked on a grand educational crusade in the Philippines.

But beneath this benevolent façade lay a more insidious malevolent intention.

A renowned Filipino historian, Renato Constantino, aptly named it the miseducation of the Philippines.

And you know, this was no mere teaching endeavor.

It was a calculated move to mold Filipino minds to instill an adoration for their American colonizers.

Imagine a nation steeped in a rich tapestry of interwoven history,

boasting universities that predated many Western institutions,

now being told that they were uncivilized.

And you know, this was the height of irony.

As our archipelago, now known as the Philippines, a cradle of knowledge,

was painted as a blank state.

Eagerly awaiting the so-called enlightened touch of American education.

The irony was stark.

Because if you think about it, our islands had long been a beacon of learning,

with universities predating those in the United States.

And yet here we are, being taught that we were nothing but ignorant savages.

In the American narrative, Filipinos were depicted as little brown brothers,

needing the guidance from the enlightened Uncle Sam.

It was a tale of benevolence, or so they claimed.

A MISERY!

A mission to rescue us from savagery and barbarity.

Yet in reality, it was a cleverly veiled strategy to justify their imperial ambitions.

The United States sought to rewrite our history to fit their imperial narrative,

therefore severing us from our roots and imposing a new identity upon our people.

Unknown to many, this miseducation of the Filipino people actually began long before the war even ended.

It began while the Philippine-American War was still raging throughout the archipelago.

You know, while Filipinos were still fighting for our people's liberation.

While millions of Filipinos were still being killed,

not just in the battlefields, but also while still sleeping in their villages.

As the dawn of a new century broke, the USAT Thomas cut through the Pacific,

bringing with it a cadre of educators known as the Thomasites.

These American public school teachers, about 540 strong,

were dispatched across our islands.

From the rugged northern reaches of Luzon to the salty shores of Holo,

their mission, cloaked in benevolence, was simple yet profound.

To transplant American education onto our soil, an archipelago thousands of miles away.

These Thomasites were not just teachers.

Unknown to many, they were the vanguards of a cultural invasion.

A sophisticated campaign to reshape the minds of a nation.

They set foot in every nook and cranny of our islands,

carrying with them their values and values.

They set foot in every nook and cranny of our islands,

carrying with them their values and values.

A curriculum designed not for the Enlightenment, but for control.

It was, in fact, an education system that prioritized conformity over critical thinking,

obedience over creativity.

The American curriculum was a subtle yet effective tool of imperialism.

In a way, schools became factories,

where the production of commodities like furniture was emphasized over the arts and humanities.

This was a deliberate strategy to turn our children into mere tools,

in the vast machinery of American industry and capitalism.

They were taught to toil, not to think.

They were taught that A's for apple in the land where apples were as foreign as the snow.

In this grand scheme, our heritage was sidelined, our stories untold.

The indigenous cultures, rich and diverse, were painted as primitive,

while the West was glorified as a beacon of progress and civilization.

This miseducation was not just a theft of knowledge.

It was an erasure.

Under the American tutelage, a systematic erasure of Filipino identities commenced.

It was an education that taught our children about foreign lands and white heroes

while ignoring the sagas of our own people.

In classrooms, white American figures were exalted,

their stories woven into the fabric of our children's minds,

overshadowing the tales of our own heroes and ancestors.

Our indigenous cultures, with rich tapestries of traditions and wisdom,

were casted aside,

labeled them as backwards,

or barbaric.

Instead, a narrative that extolled the virtues of white skin and Western ideals was implanted.

This was a deliberate attempt to instill a sense of inferiority,

to make us believe that our brown skin was a marker of ignorance and unattractiveness.

The miseducation of the Filipino was not just an academic endeavor.

It was a psychological warfare.

It aimed to strip away our sense of self,

to make us question our heritage and identity.

It was a process.

It was a process that sought to transform us into subservient followers of an imperialist ideology.

Our youth were taught to aspire not to the greatness of our own culture,

but to the alien ideals of a distant land.

This educational system left a lasting impact on the Filipino psyche,

an imprint that persists to this day.

It created generations of Filipinos disconnected from our own history, culture, and identity.

Sadly, our people, once proud and self-assured,

were left confused and lost,

struggling to find their place in a world where their own stories were deemed insignificant.

So reflecting on these scars, these enduring scars of this miseducation,

let me ask you a question.

You know, in what ways do you think, in what ways do you think,

does this past continue to shape our present?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

But you know, in the meantime, let's meet some of the amazing black teachers

who made an impact in the Philippines and beyond.

Amidst this backdrop,

of cultural imperialism,

a few African-American educators stood out.

Among them were Frederick Douglas Bonner,

John Henry Manning Butler,

and notably, Carter G. Woodson.

These men, though part of the American educational mission,

brought with them a different perspective,

shaped by their own experiences of racism and subjugation in their homeland.

The African-American teachers like Woodson arrived in the Philippines with a unique mission.

They were not merely educators.

They were bridges between cultures,

understanding the nuances of being peoples of color under a dominant power.

Bonner and Butler, for instance, immersed themselves in the Filipino communities

based on mutual respect and understanding.

Woodson, on the other hand, during his time in the Philippines,

witnessed first-hand the impact of the American education system.

He saw how it was used as a tool to propagate white supremacy,

to indoctrinate young minds with the ideals,

that served the imperialist agenda.

This experience would profoundly influence his later work,

The Miseducation of the Negro,

which would later also inspire Renato Constantino to write The Miseducation of the Filipino.

In the Philippines, Woodson observed a similar pattern of miseducation as he had seen in America.

The curriculum imposed by the Americans was a reflection of their inherent racism and imperialism.

It taught nothing of the Filipino context,

nothing of our own people's history,

or our own indigenous cultures.

Instead, it focused on instilling the English language and American customs,

while punishing any expression of Filipino identities.

This experience was eye-opening for Woodson.

He realized that the struggle against miseducation was not just an African American issue,

but a universal one.

It was a battle against a system designed to control minds,

to dictate who was worthy of knowledge and who was not.

Unknown to many,

Woodson's time in the Philippines was a critical juncture,

shaping his resolve to fight against the miseducation of his own people back in the United States.

Carter G. Woodson emerged from his Philippine experience transformed.

He returned to the United States with a renewed purpose,

dedicating his life to correcting the injustices he had witnessed.

Woodson's work was not just about reclaiming African American history,

it was about reasserting their identity and place in the world.

His education,

and efforts culminated in the creation of Negro History Week,

a celebration of Black identity and achievements.

This event was a beacon of hope and a call to African Americans to embrace their heritage with pride.

It was a radical act of defiance against a system that had long sought to diminish their contributions to society.

Decades later, this celebration would evolve into the Black History Month that we know today,

a testament to Woodson's endurance.

But his influence did not stop there.

The spirit of his work transcended oceans,

inspiring similar movements among Filipino Americans and other marginalized communities.

For example, in October, we celebrate Filipino American History Month,

a time to honor our own journey and contributions.

Woodson's legacy is a beacon of resilience and solidarity.

He showed us that our histories are interconnected,

that our struggles against oppression, and that we are all connected.

He showed us that our histories are interconnected, that our struggles against oppression,

and that we are all connected.

He laid the foundation for movements that seek not just to reclaim history,

but to rectify it in a way that honors the diversity of human experiences.

Today, Carter G. Woodson is hailed as the father of black history,

but his legacy goes beyond that.

He is a symbol of the fight for knowledge,

for the right to tell our own histories.

His work reminds us that our history is not just a collection of dates,

His work reminds us that our history is not just a collection of dates,

and events,

but a living, breathing narrative that shapes our identities and our future.

Now, before we continue into the final chapter of today's journey,

I just want to share something that is close to my heart.

You know, if you're inspired by today's topic,

and if you wish to deepen your understanding about these forgotten chapters of our people's history,

I invite you to please check out my book, Black Lives and Brown Freedom,

Untold Histories of War, Solidarity, and Genocide.

And it's actually my very first book.

And it's actually my very first book.

This book is a deeper journey into the forgotten history of solidarity

between Filipinos and African Americans during the Philippine-American War.

You know, from Captain David Fagan in the battlefields in the Philippines

to Ida B. Wells Barnett in the United States,

it's a labor of love and respect aiming to shed light on these intertwined histories

and honor the shared struggles and resilience of our communities.

And if you are new to my channel and wish to support the continuation of uplifting and sharing these stories,

please consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a member of my YouTube channel.

You may also check out my books, coloring books, ebooks, and merch about the Philippines, Southeast Asia, the diaspora, and beyond.

Your support for my book, my very first book, will also support my continued research and storytelling,

decolonized storytelling about our people's history, culture, and everything in between.

So make sure to check out the links below to order your copies today.

And as we say in my Maritang, Dakal pong salamat.

And actually, apart from my book, for those of you who may not be familiar with it, it's just a copy of my book.

And actually, apart from my book, for those of you who may not be familiar with it, it's just a copy of my book.

And actually, apart from my book, for those of you who may not be familiar with it, it's just a copy of my book.

And actually, apart from my book, for those of you who may not be familiar with it, it's just a copy of my book.

And actually, apart from my book, for those of you who may not be familiar with it, it's just a copy of my book.

And also for those of you who may not be familiar with the Philippine-American War,

and the genocide, and the American occupation of the Philippines,

check out the links below or up here

Baliktad.

Check out the links up here or down below for the YouTube playlist that I made

about the Philippine Revolution and Struggle for Liberation.

Which includes all my videos about these topics including

videos about the many African-Americans who fought for our people's liberation.

So make sure to watch them after this video.

Now back to our topic.

Carter G. Woodson's journey in the Philippines

Carter G. Woodson's journey in the Philippines was more than just

It was an educational mission. It was a profound awakening. He witnessed the mechanisms of imperialist education and how it was used to subjugate and control Filipinos. This experience was a revelation, shedding light on the broader struggle against colonialism and white supremacy.

In his famous book, Woodson wrote,

When you control a man's thinking, you do not have to worry about his actions.

And this insight was a direct result of his observations in the Philippines.

He understood that the battle for liberation was not just fought on physical grounds, but in the minds and the hearts of the people.

Woodson's time in the Philippines exposed him to the stark realities of imperialist and white supremacist education

and its ability to dictate nations.

To suppress indigenous voices, to enforce hegemony, and to ignite cultural genocide.

This realization spurred Woodson to dedicate his life to combating the miseducation of African Americans.

He recognized the parallels between the struggles of the black people and those of the Filipinos.

He understood that both were victims of a system designed to erase their histories and impose white supremacy.

This shared experience became a catalyst for Woodson.

Fueling his passion to safeguard the legacy of African Americans.

Carter G. Woodson alongside other black luminaries like W.E.B. Du Bois and I.W. Wells Burnett

became a vanguard in the movement for decolonization and liberation.

Their efforts were not just about reclaiming history.

They were about dismantling the very structures that perpetuated oppression and injustices.

They fought for the right to self-representation.

Free from the narratives imposed by white supremacist colonial powers.

Woodson's work transcended national boundaries, resonating with the oppressed communities around the world.

In the Philippines, for example, where American heroes like George Washington were exalted

at the expense of our own bayanis or heroes,

Carter G. Woodson and his contemporaries offered a more genuine narrative.

One that celebrated resistance, resilience, and the quest for liberation.

They reminded us,

that our histories are not defined by the colonizers, but by the struggles and the triumphs of our people.

And as we draw the curtains on the legacy of Carter G. Woodson

and the intertwined histories of Filipinos and African Americans,

we also reflect on the profound solidarity that arose during the Philippine-American War.

Figures like I.W. Wells Burnett, Captain David Fagan,

and the countless African Americans who empathized with the Filipino struggle

and joined our people's fight for freedom.

Remind us of the enduring power of solidarity in the face of adversity.

And if you think about it,

Carter G. Woodson's journey from the classrooms of the Philippines

to the heart of the African American struggle in the U.S.,

coupled with the many acts of solidarity across oceans,

are a testament to the power of education as a tool for liberation.

Carter G. Woodson's legacy and, you know,

the shared history of our struggles challenge us to look beyond the narratives handed down to us.

And to seek our own truth.

So let's honor this legacy by continuing to question the mainstream narrative.

By continuing to learn and to grow from our people's histories.

And by continuing the unwavering spirit of unity and solidarity

that binds our people across borders and struggles.

So this Black History Month and beyond,

you know, not just today but every day in our lives,

let's keep the flames of knowledge and solidarity burning brighter.

Let's pave the way for a future that truly honors

and empowers the people of our country.

Let's pave the way for a future that truly honors and empowers our diverse cultures,

diverse histories, and diverse people.

You know, a future where genuine peace and justice

truly reigns in our communities.

Not just in the Philippines or the U.S.,

but also in places like Palestine, in Gaza,

where millions of people are still facing genocide today.

Because honestly, you know, as I've mentioned many times before,

learning about our people's history is not just about a nostalgic longing for the past,

while ignoring the conditions of the present day.

You know, it really means being awakened and immersed,

in the realities of today.

You know, being armed and empowered by the wisdom of our ancestors.

You know, it means staying rooted in our people's history,

staying rooted in our people's struggle.

You know, it means taking actions to address,

to help address the struggles of the present day.

Not just in the Philippines, not just in the U.S., but beyond.

Because our ancestors knew how to build solidarity.

So let us learn from their lessons,

and let us be empowered by their history of solidarity,

and do our part in helping address and eradicate these oppressions,

these injustices,

eradicate these genocides that are happening in our world today.

Because what is the point of honoring our past,

if we cannot use these lessons from the past to make this world a better place?

And that is it for me today.

So let me know what you think about today's topic in the comments below.

And if you like this video and learned a thing or two,

don't forget to like, share this video, comment down below, and please subscribe.

And of course, one last thing before I go,

I just want to take this moment to thank my patrons and subscribers for your unwavering support.

You know, your love and support is the most important thing for me.

Thank you so much for watching this video.

You know, your love and support throughout these years have been the backbone of this channel.

It's because of you that videos like this are possible.

So from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.

Or in Kapampangan, thank you so much.

And in Benisaya, thank you so much.

And in Bahasa Sug, may peace be with you.

And in Bahasa Melayu, thank you.

See you next time.

Or in Tagalog, I'm Kits.

And in Kapampangan, I'm Mikki Tix.

And in Benisaya, I'm Aita.

And in Thai, I'm Gergan Mai.

Thank you so much for watching this video.

I'll see you next time.