The education system in the United States of America has become something not fully complete. Throughout the history lessons taught in the schools, the stories from the side of the marginalized are being left out. The history lessons are being “whitewashed” for lack of a better term. Unfortunately, the histories told throughout the world are histories written by the “winners”. No one has wanted to hear the stories of those that lost. Until now. Now society wants to hear the other side. We want to hear the side of the less fortunate, the ones that had their dreams, goals, families, and very lives ripped out from underneath them.
All over social media right now is the image of little, Ruby Bridges, as she walks into an all-white school surrounded by armed deputies with the caption, “If this little girl was strong enough to survive it, your child is strong enough to learn about it.” What is the fear that this image brings up? It is the fear of the Anglo Americans that don’t want their children to know that they stood there shouting racial slurs or didn’t want an African American child in school with their precious Anglo children. United States education wants the sordid past of slavery and segregation to be wiped from the textbooks like it never happened or that it isn’t still happening. That little girl is a 68-year-old woman who still fights for the rights of marginalized students to this day.
So the stories that are told are the ones with "white" privilege and the stories that remain in the margins, but hopefully not for much longer, are the ones that need to be told for the under-served, the low-income, the ones persecuted for their religious beliefs, their sexual orientation, the color of their skin, the language that they speak, and so much more.
Hello Chavon, I agree with your comment that the education system has not fully been completed. It's sad to see that as a society that we only want to educate about the "winners". I fully agree with your whole blog but I feel like society isn't doing enough for the education system to teach real history. There are still so many rules in place that teachers have to follow. Many topics still aren't being talked about. There are even school districts that ban certain books due to the topic it talks about. Society will never agree because people lack respect when it comes to learning or allowing teachers to teach real history. The United States is failing our education system because they are only wanting white history taught. They are failing people of color, low-income, and sexual orientation. People judge people so easily before getting to know them. Why is it like that? How do you plan to teach change? Why do you think change is coming if we still have so many rules in place?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't know how to teach change and that is the sad part. We would love to say that as a teacher we will go in and teach everything that we feel needs to happen to make the world a better place, but unfortunately as educators our hands are tied as to what can be taught in schools by the Department of Education at the national level and the Texas Education Association at the Texas state level. Teaching has become so controlled. I think by creating projects in units that allows students the opportunity to research and question what is taught is a great starting point. As a parent teaching beyond our own race is a must. I am always learning as I have to boys that are Mexican American and I have dove deeply into classes and research to help them be amazing citizens that don't feel like they don't fit with either Mexicans or Anglos.
DeleteHi Chavon, I loved the passion and commitment I could tell you put into this post. I mean how could you not be passionate about a topic like this. It is sad to see that schools are so "white washed" we can't even teach what need to be taught in history. I feel like our children need to know where they came from and that those white men so idolized in the textbooks were the ones behind little Ruby Bridges facing the hate she did. I think as teachers we are told what to teach and what not to, but it's topics like this that I just can't understand why we are told to keep our mouths shut. What are these people in higher up positions trying to hide? Are they hiding that is was people like them that silenced the minority in history and they aren't ready to face that truth? Whatever it may be it is time for those walls to come down and the stories of the marginalized to be told.
ReplyDeleteHi Ella,
DeleteI agree with you. I feel as if something is being hidden away. As an educator the absolute best we can do is give students the ability to safely research topics. It is the worst part about having our hands tied as to what we can and can not teach in schools anymore. I'm not usually politically inclined, but I feel that there is a fight that needs to be fought on the political floor for the right to teach all sides to the stories.
Hi Chavon! To beign with I really liked your blog and what you said throughout. I completely agree with you as well! Up to this day the only stories who have been told and heard are those coming from the “winners” and the “white privilege”. Which to me and im sure others too that seems unfair. All stories should be heard and told, all sides of a strory are valid not just the “whitewashed” like you mentioned. I love how you ended your blog by saying that we no stop repeating history. Although this has been an on going issues im on the same page as you, we need to stand up for those stories who havent been heard and to make change so that no one is left in the margins. Do you think this issue will ever come to an end in the future?
ReplyDeleteHi Mariela,
DeleteAs someone who has worked in education for six years it is hard to try to be objective and tell students you don't have the same view as textbooks, just because you are white. I try to find all avenues of teaching that will develop a love of learning with all my students. In a small group I worked with in the middle school we read, Forgotten Girl, which is a scholastic book I bought at the book fair. The students of all colors really loved it and it brought up topics of why old cemeteries for people of color have been neglected or forgotten.
Hi Chavon! I just want to say that this is a really well composed blog post and is very thoughtfully written. I completely agree with you that the education system is not well rounded. I found it very interesting in the way you phrased that history is still "whitewashed", this ties back to our previous activity about history being one sided. In most cases, only the white side of history is told and it comes to look like those oppressed are not included. Why do you think that this is happening still? I think as future teachers it is up to us to create the change. We must take the curriculum we are given and create something beyond that. My goal as a teacher is to create inclusion throughout my term. I want all students to feel like there are things they can relate to in my classroom. Again, Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think the "white washing" of the education system starts with looking at who is in charge of what is taught. Older, conservative, white men will usually be what you will find. They don't want change. I think starting with who is voted for will be a good start. In a previous reply I mentioned a book called Forgotten Girl that was used in my reading small groups. Would it be approved teaching content in a classroom? I'm not sure. I was lucky to work in a school that is dominantly African American and Hispanic. My principal was African American and she felt it was amazing that I wanted to use it as a teaching tool for my small groups. So a small start would be having supportive administrative staff that allow for a small measure of creating your own curriculum as long as you can still base it back to the TEKS.
DeleteHey Chavon! I very much enjoyed reading your blog post this week. It was very well written and easy to read. I love that you actually included the photo in this post as well. I like when you said, “Unfortunately, the histories told throughout the world are histories written by the “winners”. No one has wanted to hear the stories of those that lost.” This is very true, many seem to be hiding from our difficult past and brushing the discrimination and hurt marginalized people were given and are given under the rug. We need to start telling the hard stories that can be uncomfortable. That is the only way we can address things for more change in our society. It is a shame that we do not address moments like this one you included in your post in our classrooms. History is history no matter what sexual orientation, race, culture, and class. Thank you Chavon for this post. It was a pleasure to read!
ReplyDeleteThank you Megan. I honestly took wrote this post from my heart more than anything else I read in this unit. I have had a student call me racist because I wasn't allowing anyone to run to the restroom at a particular moment in the day. It made me laugh because I am married to a Mexican, I have two first-generation Mexican American children, through my husband we have an African American son-in-law and two grandsons from his Mexican-Ecuadorian daughter. I am by far the least racist person you will ever meet. I work in a school district that is pre-dominantly African American and Hispanic. I love the kids in the district, even the hard to love ones. I can only hope to be an amazing teacher that encourages them to research beyond what they learn in the textbooks.
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