At 09:43 AM 8/25/98 -0500, you wrote:

>I was not necessarily angered by that position because I generally, agreed
>(although I did not discontinue studying American diplomacy because I was
>not a diplomat).  Nevertheless, the experience has influenced my thinking
>when it comes to serving in an African-American museum.  I would generally
>agree that an Anglo is not going to as fully understand that
>experience--whether it relates to art, music, politics, culture or
>whatever--as an African-American.  Sure would like to. But....

I might be misunderstanding your point but it seems to me that you are
suggesting that since whites (or Asians or Aborigines or Native Americans,
etc.) cannot fully understand what it is like to be Black/African American,
we should not study it at all or serve in those types of museums.

Thus why study history at all?  I mean as a woman, I was made to study
white male history all my life.  Certainly I cannot understand all of
Western history as a white female.  Nor why should we subject non-whites to
studying Western history as well?

To me, I think we should all have a good base understanding of world
history, African, Asian, European and South American and a better
understanding of our own country's history as well.  Then I think people
should be allowed to study whatever history interests them.  I may never
understand what it is like to truely be Black, but I can appreciate the
culture and the history.

And to add, I grew up in one of the most racially diverse areas in the
world.  (Alexandria, VA right outside of Washington, DC.)  Now while I will
never been African American/Black, I do know what it is like to be a
minority and be picked upon because of my skin color.  (Yes, "whitey" is
just as much of an epithet as other racial slurs.)  This again, won't be me
the true insight on not being white, but it does give me a bit more of a
perspective than someone who grew up in an all white town in the Mid-West,
for example.  I think everyone can gain an understanding of someone else's
culture on some identifiable level.  Finding the common experiences that we
all share is the key.

Deb Fuller

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