As protestors cried for racial justice across the United States this year, it became clear that it was time for families to sit down and have some hard conversations about the history of our nation. When Civil War statues were removed from public parks, educators were forced to think about whose legacies they are teaching children to celebrate and honor. It's about time for our children's education system to get a refresh—one that leads with cultural and historical accuracy about America's heritage.
On September 17, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his plans for a new commission to introduce a “patriotic education” in U.S. schools to “reclaim our history, and our country, for citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed.” In his first day in office, President Joe Biden revoked Trump’s 1776 Commission, but more needs to be done.
We believe the best way to reclaim our history and get to a place of true American pride is not to ignore the dark moments of our country's past, but rather to teach them to our children in a way that guides them to strive for better. We need to raise the next generations to understand the mistakes of those who came before them so they together can create a better, brighter future.
Here, we bring you continuing guidance from experts and historians on how all grownups—moms, dads, and school teachers alike—can talk to children about the topics affecting Black American history, which are so often left out of or reframed in school curriculums. Improving our children's education by introducing the facts in a way kids can understand will help us raise the next generation to be anti-racist.
Read More:
We're Measuring Success in Schools All Wrong—and It's Penalizing the Marginalized
If You Feel Like You Only Just Learned About the Tulsa Race Massacre, You're Not Alone—Not Enough Schools Teach It
Our Students Need Culturally Relevant Education—It Starts With Training Teachers
The Myth of the Free North Still Persists and Parents and Teachers Have a Duty to Dispel It
Alyssa N. Haymore, M.S. Ed
Training teachers to be the great white hope for Black and brown students does little to prepare teachers to wrestle with the complex issues of race, ethnicity, poverty, and extreme capitalism they'll have to navigate in the classroom.
The Harlem Renaissance Was a Pivotal Moment in American Culture—We Need To Teach It That Way
How to Teach the History of Racism in Science Class
Nikki BrueggemaN, writer and historian
While the experiences of Black Northerners were not monolithic, it is imperative to understand that discrimination and unfair laws did not end at the Mason-Dixon line.
Kirby Felder, a theater Teacher in Atlanta, Georgia
We have to stop silencing the things that are authentically [expressions of pain and joy of Black people by Black people]. You could be silencing the next Zora Neale Hurston or Duke Ellington.
Heather Harlen, an English teacher and author of Shame, Shame, I Know Your Name
Teaching students about medical racism isn't too serious for kids, and they need to learn about it in order to be informed citizens and allies.
Illustration by Emma Darvick
