WHEN African-American historian Carter G. Woodson first thought of the idea of a Negro History Week, in which black achievements would be celebrated, he clearly had no idea that his suggestion would eventually evolve into what is now Black History Month ? February, when African-Americans come together to fete their achievements.

Carter Woodson conceived his idea of a Negro History Week in the 1920s to honour the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, probably African-America's first prominent national leader, and Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States who emancipated America's slaves.

Black History Month is an African-American tradition that was introduced in Bermuda's schools by Bermudian teachers who had been trained in America. It was believed this month-long celebration of cultural identity and self-reliance could be transplanted to Bermuda.

At first this seemed to be a positive step for Bermuda's schools ? except that for years it was African-American history and not black Bermudian history that the emphasis was being placed on. In recent years, though, that seems to have changed.

The focus in the classrooms is now being put more and more on the black Bermudian role in Bermuda's history. However, I was given pause to wonder if there had indeed been any major change in emphasis after reading a recent essay written by a young black Bermudian student and printed in which seemed to suggest that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. liberated Bermuda from racial discrimination and not those engaged in Bermuda's own civil rights struggles.

I am in no way trying to diminish the role that Dr. King played in the civil rights movement in America. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and his moral stature commanded world-wide respect. But he had no more to do with bringing down the barriers of racial discrimination in Bermuda than Mahatma Gandhi did in ending segregation in America even though Dr. King adopted the strategy of non-violence which Gandhi had used against the British in the struggle for Indian Independence.

Even though I remain uncomfortable that the local celebration of Black History Month still puts too much emphasis on the struggle of African-Americans, I am not totally against the concept. Frankly, I think Black History Month should be integrated into a wider secondary school programme based around the world-wide struggle of black peoples against racism.

In this regard I was intrigued by the recent controversy surrounding a new programme being piloted at Dellwood Middle School, a values education programme called the Ashay Rites of Passage being taught by master teacher Melodye Micere Van Putten.

I must confess that before the controversy broke, I had no idea that such a programme existed in Bermuda's schools. And I was even more interested when I learned the programme was based on the study of African and/or black history.

I could understand the problems such a programme could face in the Bermuda context. Despite our talk about being a multicultural society and how far we have come in terms of race relations, this is still very much a Eurocentric society.

Despite having a black majority our community still very much places a superior value on concepts and ideas of European or white origin rather than those emerging from the black or non-white world.

recall the time when the idea of introducing black studies into Bermuda school was broached in the 1970s. There followed a number of emotive meetings to discuss the issue. There was clearly a divide with blacks all for it and whites suspicious.

Finally, the idea was quietly dropped. It was deemed to be too potentially disturbing for race relations, a decision that should have been protested by the black community since it meant the role of black Bermudians in Bermuda's history would continue to be ignored.

It was left to us who remained interested to embark on our own unofficial black studies programmes. This meant that you read as much black history as you could. I began to order books by mail and on trips to the United States I would return home with suitcases filled with books on every aspect of black history in America and in the world generally.

But as I recall, like most histories told from only one perspective, the books being produced in the late 1960s and early '70s were very partisan. They told the story of the African experience very much like their more strident Eurocentric counterparts ? excluding most references to other cultures, other peoples and the broader historical contexts they discussed.

Even 30 years on from the days of the Black Power Revolt and the Black Is Beautiful movement, it obviously remains difficult to merge these two divergent perspectives of history. Clearly, this has not even happened in America yet or there would be no need to set aside a so-called Black History Month.

But even without a racial connotation, history is invariably told from the perspective of those who are telling it. So, for example, if you discuss the outcome of World War Two Two with an American, he is liable to have been taught that his country won the war. A Briton will play up the role of the United Kingdom in bringing down the Nazi regime. A Russian will argue that his country bore the brunt of the struggle to bring down Adolf Hitler.

So even though I understand that aspect of how history tends to be taught from a particular cultural/ racial viewpoint, I was surprised to discover how the Ashay Rites of Passage is combined with the teaching of black history to teach understanding of the following objectives which a child will know once they complete the programme 1), I am valuable and have genius; 2). My history and culture are sources of knowledge and lessons to be learned; 3). I must develop and grow my character in preparation for a successful life ; 4). The world is waiting for me to contribute my gifts and talents. "Ashay" is a Swahili term and means "It is Good". And the programme maintains that it's good for children to know their history and their culture. But how do you teach that in the context of Bermuda's history, and indeed world history, when you have classrooms that will invariably include children whose ancestors can be divided into both victims and victimisers?

You do that by teaching African-centred values which are, in fact, universal values. And any such course should in turn fall under the umbrella of a social studies curriculum which includes Caribbean history, ancient African history module and Bermudian history ? all taught within the broader context of a general world history.

cannot be taught in historical isolation: it needs to be looked at within the broad scope of history in the pre-industrial era, when forced labour was the norm ? not the exception (as is still the case in some countries in the Developing World: slavery continues to thrive in civil war-plagued southern Sudan, for instance, a vast area that remains in cultural terms much as it was 100 ? or even 500 ? years ago).

I think it's necessary for our children to be taught the general principles of African history. They need to be taught that Africans too have been pioneers in the areas of astronomy, mathematics and architecture.

History taught this way is sure to break down such notions as superior and inferior cultures and allow the next generation to escape the historical and social baggage that their parents may be carrying. Only in this way can we create the conditions for the evolution of a real multicultural society fully aware of itself and fully confident in itself.

Certainly Melodye Micere Van Putten is well suited to her task. The recipient of a number of awards for the creation of this programme, including magazine's "Rising Star" plaudit, and having conducted many workshops, seminars and programmes for children, teachers; parents and adults throughout the United States.

Mrs. Van Putten is an asset in laying the foundation for the creation of a new Bermuda with a generation that will have a different outlook on their place in the world based on a sure knowledge of who they are. I hope Bermuda's other schools will adopt her programme or something similar.