later this queer. julie mcdonald, al jazeera. >> also online but certainly not quite as exciting our website with all the day's news and sport. aljazeera.com. hi, i am lisa fletcher, and you are in the stream. a look at why young african-americans are turning to twitter to discuss the issues their local communities won't. their struggle to preserve their culture in the u.s., may found at an unbearable cost. another view of multiculturism, captain america in a turbin, how one man turned the icon oven it's head to battle intolerant.

welcome to the stream where your interactivity with us helps drive our conversation. he brings in all of your feedback throughout the show so we are talking about black history month. started by 1970, it turns into an entire month. and the purpose was really to teach african-american history in the public schools but now, almost 90 years later, two questions really arise. has it been effective in teaching african-american history in the schools and has it enlarged part achieved it's purpose? >> and the third question has emerged should we even be celebrating because allegedly we live in a post racial society. the proof some people say is the election of barack obama elected twice, the first black president, there's also oprah, there's also serena, and tiger

woods and also selma the movie. >> there's a lot of main stream integration that goes behind these iconic figures. >> so some people say even morgan freeman says we shouldn't celebrate because it is self-marginal ideses based on the successes you have mentioned, but saturday night live has a satirical take, give us a look. >> black history, here is 28 reasons to hug a black guy today. number one, we deserve a chance. s hard to argue that with. how thatry debates this -- there's something called black twitter, they are debating this issue, it is a trending topic and we also have black history month which is a end fromming topic, and this month the shortest of the year reallying thatling all the

questions you questioned. i don't know how a month of observation can make up for hundreds of years of slavery. i am white, and i often hear other whites say get over it and move on, but these same people don't take the approach to 9/11. >> professor of african-american studies. kimberly ellis. off the top of the show, we were talking about how the original purpose of black history week and month, was to teach and showcase the black americans in the morn story. has it achieved it's purpose. >> i think in some ways there's stuff we only foe about in society during this 28

day period and let's say it's a remix let's go to the king holiday to the end of february, and let's give them six weeks. so yeah, i think it has happen a burden who know so much who are able to have contact with black figures folks like sony sanchez, because of black history month programming on our campuses i think it serves some putter in that regard. but this is a reality. and it is an argument that currently runs the association of the study of african-american life and history, the very organization that carter g watson founded himself for the sustained black history, we live in a country that pays very little attention to american history, the only time we talk about american history is when we talk about black history month, let's have a conversation about how we can teach about what america is, and if you teach black history

well, you do that same work. >> as ranch mentions that's something that morgan freeman would agree with you on. he says black history is american history. is it self-segregated. [laughter] >> that's a very funny question. absolutely not. first of all, segregation was a legal systemic discrimination against persons who were considered nonwhite. so the question on it's surface is ridiculous. and anyone that would suggest such it is just an eron nows idea. in fact, because plaque history is american history and american history is black history, it is literally just our history. as a country, it is a history of a people it is a legacy, it is a historical presence. i love black history month while the joke is that it was created during the shortest

month of the year, that's false, he situated the month at a time in february,s entwo the birthdays of president douglas and abraham lincoln, so you have a opinion who is a culture center and an intellectual bastion of liberation, and then you have a politician that he respects. so i think it is important to remember that. >> i remember black history month means what? and rufu tell a.j. stream, that awareness -- black history month is awareness to we still have work to do. it means loving martin luther king, amean says it is one for two, it means black history has been disconnected from american history. >> call it just iffy case, and it is no coincidence, thes the shortest month, and he has a # conspiracy, and i am old enough to know that,

the intersection in light of what has happened in the past year, eric garner, ferguson, mike brown. >> how should we acknowledge this. >> that's why it is so critically important. and for many young folks this is something that is unprecedented. i grew up in an era where i rebel know. i remember black plus brutality, in new york city, and we know there's even a longer history so black history month helps us to be able to connect the dots. and particularly this moment where we have access to archives visual archives audio archives that's unprecedented in terms of what kind of access we have. we can literally do black history month every day, more than 28 days, why simply decide to roll out the marketing plan.

on january 15th instead of thinking about rolling out the marketing plan for the whole year, and i think part of it has to do with the fact there are folks folks that don't want americans to know their history. because if they know american history, and that's even not even inclusive of the black experience with that, folks can connect dots and realize that some of the things that they are experiencing, it is not unprecedented. that it might be more systematic, in fact. >> does maintaining the idea of black history month give educators in particular a reason not to integrate into the curriculum as american history? i think that's always a concern. we will have these places that think well, if we have to do it, right, we'll just take these 28 months and we'll do the kind of stand rhetorical stuff about why black folks are important, and you should be prideful, and young black folk whose really love black history month should pull up

theirn't pas and wear a belt. because that's from friday rick douglas wont want them to do. when you are talking about k through 12, they are not interesting in doing any real kind of progressive education anyway, so the idea that they would choose a few programs, and aamerican historysy bly to discuss black history month should not be surprising but i think that's where folks that are really dedicated fogs with progressive interest have to get enganged and if the schools are not willing to do the work, there are other spaces are this can be done. in a traditional way we can think about community forums. the work for online show really is about producing connections between folk whose will writing and talking about history, to every day folk whose can just sit there and watch it. mark mentioned young blackens how do you think young blacks relate to black history month? >> oh, they relate very well. we have an old tradition, and

we have passed down many of the lessons of our any recess tors. we are still not fully integrated into our systemic education. and so what you have a lot of enformal education, that happens in our churches community centers after school perhaps, around the dinner table, and what, and when we think about twitter, in fact one thing that always delighted me about black twitter was the ways in which individuals were naming themselves and sometimes fun jovial ways after historical figures so one of the two people that i fell in love with immediately were lankton huge and harriet thug den the other day i saw shock rah can. and petty chavez. and it is just -- it is hilarious. i love the way we are creative, and pass down our

history, in ways that are affirming, and fun, and lively, and stand up within the history call presence. >> we asked our community, agree or disagree, should ever month be black history month. >> it is time to teach about literally everyone else we should extend this to begin on martin luther king day, and not just the first black person to do x, y, and z, and product of society says we should discuss how inadequate this month is in a way to articulate culture. mark, want to go with you with this. with tule churr we have seen the ways that african-americans themselveses are articulating black culture, however, there is an exploitation, some say in a commercialization of african-american history month,ives on twitter, and i saw sales there's book sales what is your response to the commercial at

becket masseys is having that martin luther king day sale, right? it is clearly an opportunity. i always say mcdonalds use to run these adds well mcdonalds helping folks living the dream, is paying them a living wage. this is business, you can. >> stop it. >> and it sounds facetious but this is how it goes down my good friend and colleague has done this series on black moses bar by. and while it is on one the hand telling a real interesting story about harriet tubman, it is also very conscious of the way that if matel had the opportunity, they in fact create a black bar by that is dressed liar harriet tubman and you can buy your accessories as he does in the series.

we understand how commercial culture works and so much of what sustained the idea if not the content is these commercial enterprises. >> so we have about 30 seconds left, what does black history month look like done right. >> done right, it is -- especially when you talk about social media, black history, period, done right is our courses in your schools. they are requirements in college. it is black studies it is african studies it is options. on twitter it is live tweeting #freedom writers as we watched the documentary. as we always watch the documentary, and learn together. and it's fun. it is tracy clayton from buzz feed, doing little known black history facts. and having us cracking up laughing with the #on twitter and as i said it is the name it is web by who is known as

five fit, which is deep, because that means one person, one whole human being. and that's how we do black history month all right, thank you so much, and kimberly ellis author of the upcoming box, the brilliant of black twitter. coming up next, people have made it their mission to preserve their traditions more so than any other community. but the current status of their land and livelihood paint as bleaker picture. we will speak to a woman a historian on the legacy of her father's culture and the fine line between preservation and community progress. and later, how one man uses a super hero alter ego to combat stereotypes.

welcome back. more now on the plight of the gala people. they are known for having many of their culture practices still intact. and speak their own creole influenced language. what is less known is the risk to their landowner ship and they widespread poverty, i don't think most people know about the gula people despite their instrengthive value to american history and african-american history. >> i think the only people know is this really celebrating neck loadian show, a variety show for kids. it was midnight's. and i am old enough to remember it, and we have a clip of that if you remember it, check this out. >>

♪ i remember that song,s there's criticism despite best intentions people sanitized the culture. i do remember that show. i don't think i ever knew it was a real place or culture though, i recall there were a lot of frogs however. and john says daughters of the dust, is another culture enterprise that buzz actually a great feature film that shined light on this african-american culture. >> we will get more into that experience. an anthropologist who has studied gula culture. dedicated to preserving african culture, and from columbia south carolina victoria smalls director of history, art, and culture at the penn center, that was one of the first schools for freed slaves is now considered one of the most historical black institutions she is also gula. thank you for being here, why is there so much interest in

preserving the culture of the gula people. >> well, if you think about the culture, it is a rich part of americana that many people don't know about. were it not for the work of lorenzo dough turner who was touted at the first black linguist, most people wouldn't have even known about the language, and the culture of these people, and his work was really really groundbreaking in the late 30's and how's. you just mentioned daughters of the dusk, her work really brought to the forefront this rich culture for many people in the mid 90's, and then -- so this is a rich part of americana that many people don't know about, but right here in our backyards, in charleston south carolina, for example, which is known as like the number one tourist

destination right now in the u.s., the culture is very part and parcel of historic charleston, the narrative and the culture fabric. >> patricia is talking about this rich culture, you grew up gullah. what do you remember most. >> family. and spirituality. working the land, wrongerring in the field, if you wanted to eat you ha to go in the field and grow. harvest. and bring it from the farm to the table. also, just a sense of community also when we lived with our family we lived in a communal setting i had my mother and my father, and my 13 siblings i had had my grammy, the cousins that were never nearby, and that's very indicative of the culture. and one thing that was very important, is that a derogatory tone to it, and i

didn't know i was gullah until i went off to university, and saw these beautiful images that depicted my culture, and one in particular that showed my father, plowing a field at penn school. and that's what just made it even more important to me. >> victoria, a culture, we have that great tweet from arthur i think it is based on what patricia was saying the gullah people are hired for help building on their lands is this exploitation or opportunity and why, we have some great comments. exploitation, using the people to market nongullah business in gullah regions is classic internal u.s. colonialism, and then we have former guest saying i regret not being very well informed however, if i were pressed i would say this is capitalism it is

exploitation, unless the gullah people own the hotels and land it is exploitation, at the end of the day, where does the money go. this is what is happening to the gull la people right now. do you think this is exploitation, or do you think they are being unfairly blamed. >> i am going to say the answer is complex. as a person that did not grow up here, for me it looks very much like they are being exploited. it isn't just on the islands though. i keep bringing the conversation back to charleston, you are struck by the fact that in downtown charleston, for example you can go into a restaurant, and there aren't have many black

people, and they are working in the service industry. because. >> othe islands are now home to these now home to these wonder f these beautiful opulent tourist destinations and areas that are served for very wealthy people, it is tragic, it's loaded, it is a complex story. >> it is a complex -- it is a complex story, i want to get back to victoria, for a moment, though, in 2006 congress passed an act, that allocated $10 million over ten years to preserve historical sites is it possible to preserve a culture, though and not preserve it's people along with it? >> well that's the very thing that the culture heritage corridor commissioners that's what that called for is the first of it's kind that speaks to

preserving the people most things like that would speak to land. or a site, or a building but this speaks to the people and it does help quite a bit especially with the landisch shoes, education, making sure there is a curriculum that speaks to the people, that goes to the schools, at penn center, where i box is a place that is very important, and within the islands and on a national level, with people will come and learn about the culture, educators come to us, to help learn how to incorporate it within the school and the standards. >> i would be remiss if i didn't close by asking you to say goodbye to our audience in your very beautiful language. oh, yes.

at the college of charleston at the penn center. still ahead. how one man is hating hate crime by confronting stereotypes head on, he is in the stream, next. >> tuesday. did the police fail misty upham? >> if somebody did something to my girl, i need to know that. >> was is a case of discrimination? >> we had no help from the police. >> a family pleads for answers. "stolen sisters", an "america tonight" special report. tuesday, 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

welcome back. cartoonist and a man with a mission. why brand yourself as captain america, and what kind of response have you gotten. >> quell, thank you for having me. a great question. this was something i had never imagined doing.

this was got a dream i had say one daily be captain american, it is just i am a cartoonist. went to my first new york comicon and i was thinking of a new idea to attract audience to my work, and that year, actually four years ago, this is when the first captain american movie came out, what i do a lot of times is i basically try to sort of useny own experiences where i get hahsled all the time, so the idea came, is that maybe captain america has nothing to do with it. being hahsled? >> and basically i came up with a caption says hey, just he lax, it is a turbin. and now let's get concern and that did well, people loved it, i thought that's goode, i made a connection, but a photographer who is based in new york city, who was trying

to capture more for part of her photo shoot, she mentioned in passing hey, would you maybe you should come pack next year as dressed up as captain american, i told her no way, i am a skinny guy, have been all my life, i have been bully add lot, so to me i could not imagine wear costume, anything on skin tight and exposing my body soy forgot about it, until about a year later, a year later, milwaukee massacre happened at a seek temple and that hit me hard. so i penned the piece. so fiona read that piece and i just felt okay. sixes have changes and i have to get out. so that's how i started. i was scared very scared. i didn't know how people would respond. >> and i know that the people have responded well, and you raised an important conversation, more about what it means to be an american.

then what it means to be a sikh captain american. until next time, ranch and i will see you online.