Here's a wypipo confession for you: when I first bookmarked today's playlist for Black History Month, I thought: this one will be interesting, Black history from one of the whitest sources around. But then I had more thoughts, and began to unpack some nonsense that had lurked in my head for years.
Is TED "white?" Well, yes. Right? Founded by a white person, run by a white person, I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but I think the numbers of lectures delivered by white people is probably outsized relative to the population. But why? TED claims to be devoted to "ideas worth spreading," and it's hard to imagine ideas more relevant and more interesting than Black history. As already discussed this month, most Black people know more than most wypipo about large swathes of history, and often think differently about societal issues in exactly the way TED claims to be focused on. I follow many Black people I'm pretty sure could give better 18-minute-max lectures than the average TED lecture.
TED-Ed, specifically, is about "lessons worth spreading," and again, it's hard to imagine better lessons than those about Black History. Which brings me to:
Hidden Figures: Black History, from TED-Ed
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJicmE8fK0Ege5CYPbAS4QlvZQw7hbm5C
These 23 videos, including two added just this month, match up with what I think TED-Ed ought to be. And they help to bring my mental image of TED closer to my mental image of education in general.
Anecdotally, my most well-educated friends are Black. As already discussed this month, many Black parents do a better job educating their children about life as it really is than most wypipo do, in part to make up for failings in the school system to do so. Even today, I've already boosted @mekkaokereke providing the basis of what would be an amazing TED lecture about Black cowboys.
If TED is "white," then that's a failing of TED. If it's not, then my perception is off.
Since I fear I've libeled TED with baseless speculation, here are some bonus links:
11 Powerful Black TED Talks to Watch
https://itstheblock.com/11-powerful-black-ted-talks-to-watch/
50 TED Talks by 50 Talented Black Women
http://twentytentalent.com/50-ted-talks-by-50-talented-black-women/
