Teaching And Learning African American History 2017 .
Social Education 81(1), pp 14– 18 2017 National Council for the Social StudiesTeaching and Learning African American HistoryThe Status of Black Historyin U.S. Schools and SocietyLaGarrett J. KingThe year 2015 marked a century since Carter G. Woodson and his colleagues created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (originally ASNLH,now ASALH), the first Black history organization that successfully “promoted,researched, preserved, interpreted, and disseminated information about Black life,history, and culture to the global community.”1 Woodson, with help from ASALH,had a profound impact on efforts to institutionalize Black history in schools. Between1915 and 1950, Woodson and his colleagues established a foundation for K-12 Blackhistory education. They did so by authoring several K-12 Black history textbooks,designing Black history home study courses for school-aged children, establishing aK-12 Black history teacher journal, and promoting Negro History Week (now BlackHistory Month) in schools.2 Woodson envisioned these programs as temporary, andonly the first steps at integrating K-12 Black history within the mainstream socialstudies curriculum.The mainstream social studies curriculum, however, either largely ignoredBlack history or misrepresented thesubject. Early renditions of history textbooks typically classified Black peopleas docile, uncivilized, and lazy. Forexample, a 1934 history textbook analysis by Lawrence Reddick observed thatBlack people were portrayed as beingcontent as slaves; they liked to “sing,dance, crack jokes, and laugh; admiredbright colors, never in a hurry, and [were]always ready to let things go until themorrow.” 3 These examples illustrateda social studies curriculum mirroring aU.S. culture that elevated those considered to be White while simultaneouslydemeaning all of those considered to beBlack. It was not until the middle of thetwentieth century that mainstream socialstudies textbooks began to eliminate textthat was explicitly racist.4Inspired by the 1960s civil rightsmovement, systemic efforts to mainstream K-12 Black history began to buildmomentum. A 1969 survey conducted byEducation USA indicated that, startingwith the 1961 California law, seven states“passed laws requiring or recommendingthat the contributions and achievementsof minority groups be included in schoolcurricula.” 5 The study also chronicledthe development of several school districts’ Black studies programs, completewith their own textbooks and resources.Additionally, Social Education, with itsApril 1969 issue, published a special ediS o c i a l E d u c at i o n14tion highlighting the purpose and limitations of a Black history curriculum. Inthe issue, Nathan Hare and Louis Harlanexemplified the various arguments aboutthe significance of Black history. Hare,for example, explained that a Black history curriculum and instruction shouldfocus on social justice, militancy, and selfimprovement, while Harlan believedthat Black history instruction should bemore subtle, apolitical, and integratedwithin traditional U.S. history classes.6In school districts across the U.S.,Black students, teachers, and parentsbegan to demand that Black historycourses become either part of the socialstudies curriculum or exist as standalone courses. Some schools/school districts—especially those with large Blackpopulations—established Black historycourses, and it was this type of experience which became the foundation ofthe multicultural education movement.7A Contemporary Look at BlackHistoryToday, the legitimacy of K-12 Black history as an academic subject for schoolchildren is largely unquestioned. Takefor instance the report, Research intothe State of African American Historyand Culture in K-12 Public Schools,conducted by the National Museumof African American History andCulture (NMAAHC). With the helpof an evaluator, Oberg Research, this2015 study sought to understand howsocial studies teachers conceptualizedand implemented a K-12 Black historycurriculum. The methodology includeda nationwide survey of 525 elementary,
middle, and high school teachers, 72in-depth personal interviews,8 and 5focus groups,9 and a review of socialstudies standards from all 50 statesand the District of Columbia. Keyfindings indicate that teachers considered Black history as influential inunderstanding the complexity of U.S.history, with many teachers stating thatthey infuse elements of Black historyin every historical era, sometimesgoing beyond state and local standards. Teachers noted that topics suchas forced African migration, Brown v.Board of Education, the impact of theCivil Rights Acts of 1960s, and theObama election were the most taughtsubjects by teachers. Teachers alsoenacted pedagogies such as invitingguest speakers from academia and thecommunity, primary sources, movieclips, virtual fieldtrips, and web questactivities. Yet, despite teachers’ enthusiasm about teaching Black history, thestudy surmised that generally only 1 to2 lessons or 8–9 percent of total classtime is devoted to Black history in U.S.history classrooms.The study represents a conundrumfor Black history in the classroom. Forone, K-12 Black history can be seenas successful to the extent that students are now aware of famous Blackleaders: Wineburg and Monte-Sano’sFamous American study saw 2,000high school students name MartinLuther King Jr, Rose Parks, andHarriet Tubman as the most famoushistorical figures in the United Statesother than presidents and their wives.10Yet the Southern Poverty Law Center’sreport, Teaching the Movement 2014:The State of Civil Rights Educationin the United States, noted that themajority of states received gradesof Ds and Fs for their approach toteaching the civil rights movement,with five states neglecting the subject all together.11 Additionally, otherresearch has indicated that teachersignore Black history and that what istaught is sometimes lethargic, too celebratory, and lacks complexity. TheNMAAHC’s study also notes thatteachers may not teach Black historyas much as they should because theylack content knowledge, confidence,time, and resources, and are concerned with students’ maturity levelsfor approaching difficult knowledge.The general consensus, however, isthat Black history should be includedin the curriculum, but (as the previously mentioned debate betweenHare and Harlan showed), there isconcern about how and what contentshould be delivered.There is no doubt that Black historyhas become engrained in the nation’slexicon, probably making it one of themost popular subsets of U.S. historytaught in K-12 education.12 Severalfactors contribute to Black history’spopularity. First, Black HistoryMonth in schools is now celebratedin many different countries. Teacherssometimes see Black History Monthas a liberating time to offer differentpedagogical approaches and disruptan inequitable and limited curriculum.13 Second, Black history museumshave become increasingly salient inproviding educational opportunitiesfor Black history learning. The newlycreated National Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture is anindication of the national importance of examining Black history.Even before NMAAHC, many stateand local Black history museumscontributed to K-12 Black historyenrichment for students and teachers through activities such as Blackhistory summer camps, lecture series,historical reenactments, and storytelling. A few other museums such as theReginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore,Maryland, and DuSable Museumin Chicago, Illinois, have even collaborated with their respective statedepartments of education to createelementary and secondary K-12 Blackhistory curriculum. Black history professional development opportunitiesfor teachers are also common at Blackhistory museums as well as throughoutJ a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1715SmithsonianAmerican ArtMuseumWhat can we findin this picture?a. A family portraitb. A reference to Hamletc. A new nation’s hopesfor independenced. All of the aboveExplore American art’sconnections to your curriculaand make history present.Summer Institutes:Teaching the Humanitiesthrough ArtJuly 10 – 14, 2017July 24 – 28, rles Willson Peale, Mrs. James Smith and Grandson (detail), 1776.Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. WilsonLevering Smith Jr. and museum purchase.
various community-based organizationsand education and history departmentson U.S. university campuses.Third, popular culture and visualmedia outlets have been influential inproviding another space for Black historical study. Recent movies such as TheHelp, 12 Years a Slave, Selma, and TheBirth of a Nation have all been developed into K-12 curriculum and have beenmade available across the country.14 TheChicago-based television station, WGNAmerica in a partnership with Sony pictures, has developed a successful TVseries about the Underground Railroad.Harvard University’s Henry Louis Gates’Black history series: Finding Your Roots,Black in Latin America, Many Rivers toCross, and Black America since MLK,have enjoyed tremendous success onPublic Broadcasting Service stations.Even streaming networks such as Netflixhave produced some Black history content, as evident in the popular documentary 13th.Fourth, the Internet and socialmedia sites such as Facebook, Twitter,and Pinterest have expanded howBlack history is accessed and interpreted. These social sites are used as amedium by users to help develop educational materials. Examples such as#Charlestonsyllabus, #Fergusonsyllabusand #Blackpanthersyllabus have beenappropriated by people of all walks oflife, providing them with spaces to contribute to Black historical knowledgethrough social media. The proliferationof and access to text and media sourceshave allowed people who might not otherwise learn about race, policing, andcivil rights to do so through the lens ofBlack history.Fifth, Black history has become acommon elective course at many schoolsand school districts. Curriculum structures for these classes differ based onschool policy and teacher experiences.These classes, however, have the optionof using one of the four Black historytextbooks published by Pearson [subdivision: Prentice Hall], McGraw Hill,and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt [sub-division: Holt McDougal], and Globe.16In addition, school districts in Chicago,Minneapolis, and Philadelphia haverequired that Black history classesbe taught at all grade levels.17 ThePhiladelphia city school district hasmade a yearlong African American history course a requirement for high schoolgraduation.18 Recently, Teachers Collegeat Columbia University, the AfricanDiaspora Consortium, and the CollegeBoard have collaborated to develop thefirst Black history advanced placementcourse. The course will focus on theAfrican Diaspora and will be pilotedin several school districts during the2017–2018 school year.Black History MandatesThe establishment of Black history mandates in a number of states is anothersign of the popularity of Black history.States such as Arkansas, Florida, Illinois,New Jersey, New York, Mississippi, andRhode Island have passed laws requiring Black history to be taught in publicschools with special K-12 Black historyoversight committees (See Table 1 fordetails about these states).19Other states such as California,Colorado, Michigan, South Carolina,Tennessee, and Washington have passededucational laws regarding Black history with no special oversight committee.20 The mandates are similar in manyregards but vary in scope and implementation. State laws in Mississippiand Washington, for instance, onlyfocus on the civil right movement. BothMississippi and Washington favor a civilrights history that not only is studiedwithin classrooms but applicable tocontemporary human rights issues. TheBlack history mandates in Illinois, NewJersey, and New York are called Amistadcommissions and emphasize curriculathat explain how the African slave tradeand enslavement in the U. S. connect tothe contemporary realities of AfricanAmericans. In addition to learning aboutoppression, the commissions require thatstudents also learn about the “triumphsof African Americans and their signifiS o c i a l E d u c at i o n16cant contributions to the developmentof this country.” 21 Curricular mandatesin Florida, South Carolina, and RhodeIsland suggest that Black history beginswith Africa. Florida defines Black history as “the history of African Americans,including the history of African peoplesbefore the political conflicts that led tothe development of slavery, the passageof America, the enslavement experience, abolition, and the contribution ofAfrican Americans to society.” 22Many of the Black history mandatesare subject to criticism. Citizens inIllinois and New York have complainedthat the mandates are in name only andhave no real and tangible purpose; thiscritique is based on the lack of curriculum enactment, enforcement, andfinancial assistance. Others just rehashthe same old narratives of enslavementand the civil rights movement. Whilethese topics need attention, Black history can become stagnant when the sametopics are revisited with no re-interpretation throughout K-12 schooling. Moreresearch is needed on the history, structure, teacher training, resources, andinfluences of Black history mandateson states’ history education.The Purpose of this Special IssueThis special issue on teaching Blackhistory serves several purposes. First,since teachers are extremely busy, finding teaching resources can be daunting.The lesson plans and recommendedresources in this issue will benefit teachers. The second purpose is to combinetheory with practice. The third purpose is to show how Black history canbe used in teacher preparation, professional development, and nontraditionaleducational spaces. The fourth purposeis to reconceptualize how educators andother citizens understand what peopleconsider to be Black history.For over a century, K-12 Black history has matriculated from a discoursethat questioned its legitimacy as an academic subject to a medium that can beaccessed in multiple ways in schoolsand society. Yet, despite these achieve-
Table 1: Black History Mandates with Oversight CommitteesStates with Black HistoryMandatesArkansasFloridaIllinoisOversight CommitteeBlack History Commission of ArkansasState Curriculum/Resource Guide Websitewww.ark-ives.com/about-us/bhca.aspxAfrican American Historyhttp://afroamfl.org/Task ForceAmistad lans(2005)MississippiMississippi Civil RightsEducation ew JerseyAmistad Commissionwww.njamistadcurriculum.net/New YorkAmistad de Island1696 Historical Commissionhttp://sos.ri.gov/boards/?page board detail&board id 6311ments, significant problems remain.Recently, a mother complained abouta McGraw-Hill textbook distributed inTexas that described the Trans-Atlanticslave trade as the immigration of “millions of workers from Africa to the southern United States to work on agricultural plantations.”23 Reportedly, socialstudies teachers at a Washington, D.C.,middle school were fired for teachingBlack history not associated with thestandards.24 Additionally, teachers havebeen criticized for questionable Blackhistory class activities such as studentsparticipating in mock slave auctions,poorly constructed slavery math problems, slave games with some studentsacting as slaves and slave catchers, thedramatization of the middle passage withBlack students tied under desks, and students writing fun slavery songs.25Therefore, the issue with Black historynow is not simply the need to increaseBlack representation in the curriculum.Instead, we should ask how we can trulyrepresent Black history in more humanizing ways. At the moment, Black historyknowledge required by the curriculumis often additive and superficial. Inmany ways, we teach about Black history and not through it. The voices andexperiences of Black people have oftenbeen silenced in favor of the dominantEurocentric history curriculum.Some manifestations of this problemare a lack of context for the teaching ofBlack history and a shallow treatmentof the great differences in the historicalexperiences of Black people comparedto those of White Americans. For example, enslavement should not be the firstcontact school children have with Blackhistory. Thousands of years of Blackhistory existed before Western contact.In addition, for the majority of Blackpeople who were enslaved, the date forU.S. independence meant little. A moresuitable starting point for full emancipation for Black Americans might be June19, 1865 (“Juneteenth”), when MajorGeneral Gordon Granger delivered thenews at Galveston, Texas, that the CivilWar ended two months before and thatenslaved people were free. In addition,the concept of the United States as acountry of immigrants is not applicableto most Black American history in thesame way as it is to White American history.The Black history curriculum needs tocome from a Black perspective with topics specifically geared towards the Blackexperience, and many times these narratives are and need to be independent ofJ a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1717the way we typically frame U.S. history.The curriculum will need to balancenarratives of victimhood, oppression,perseverance, and resistance, but unlikecurrent renditions of the curriculum, itshould contextualize issues that connectwith the present.26The study of history requires learningabout the identities of groups of people.History not only indicates where peoplehave been, what they have been, wherethey are, and what they are; history alsoprovides a blueprint for where they stillmust go and what they still must be.27K-12 Black history is as important as everas we enter a new political era that mightbe contentious about those principles.As was the case in the early twentiethcentury and the 1960s, Black history isneeded to allow society to comprehendBlackness through the record of Blackagency and advancement in the contextof systemic notions of White supremacyand racism. Our teaching should center on how Black history improves ourunderstanding of contemporary circumstances, and how it can stimulate us toimprove our democracy.Notes1. Association for the Study of African American Lifeand History, “About ASALH: Mission, Vision,Structure, Activities,” Association for the Study of
African American Life and History (June 5, 2015)http://asalh.net/aboutasalhmain.html.2. LaGarrett J. King, Ryan M. Crowley, and AnthonyL. Brown, “Forgotten Legacy: Carter G. Woodson’sContributions to Social Studies Education andAfrican American History,” The Social Studies 101,no. 5 (2010): 211-215.3. Lawrence Reddick, “Racial Attitudes in AmericanHistory Textbooks of the South,” Journal of NegroHistory 19, no. 3 (1934): 225-265.4. Gary B. Nash, Charlotte Crabtree, and Ross E.Dunn, History on Trial: Culture Wars and theTeaching of the Past (New York: Vintage Books,2000).5. Rose Marie Walker, “Black Studies in Schools: AReview of Current Policies and Programs,”Education U.S.A. Special Report (Washington,D.C.: National School Public Relations Associations, 1969).6. Nathan Hare, “Teaching of Black History andCulture,” Social Education 33 (1969): 385-389;Louis Harlan, “Tell It Like It Was: Suggestions ofBlack History,” Social Education 33 (1969): 390395.7. James A. Banks, “Teaching Ethnic Studies: Conceptsand Strategies,” National Council for the SocialStudies 43rd Yearbook (Washington, D.C., 1973).8. An additional seven long individual interviews wereconducted with teachers in states with small populations and less of a focus on African Americanhistory.9. Focus groups were held between March and April2016. The following cities held the focus groups:Washington, D.C. (2), Baltimore, Maryland (1) andAtlanta (2). The Fitzgerald F. Lew
the State of African American History and Culture in K-12 Public Schools, conducted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). With the help of an evaluator, Oberg Research, this 2015 study sought to understand how social studies teachers concep
African-Americans in the Early Twentieth Century 1895-1928 Third Written Paper on African American Writing Assignment due April 9 by 11:50 p.m. Week 11: The African-American Odyssey 17. African Americans and the 1920s 1918-1929 Week 12: The African-American Odyssey 18. Black Protest, the Grea
that student populations across the state are 51.8% Hispanic, 29.4% Anglo, 12.7% African American and 3.7% Asian. Texas has 1,025 school districts, of which 27 are African American superintendents and 7 are female African American. Current Trends Currently, the issues of African American men in school leadership may seem somewhat outdated.
9. Increase attendance and reduce absenteeism rates for African American/Black students 10. Increase the rate of freshman on-track for African American/Black students 11. Increase graduation rates for African American/Black Students 12. Increase the post-secondary enrollment rates of African American/Black students high school
Sep 21, 2015 · AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL UNITY DAY IN HONOR OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH, FEBRUARY 28, 2015. CONFERENCE SUMMARY. Sponsors African Heritage Family Outreach & Engagement Program African Immigrant . no idea about Africa. Today is the day we begin to learn from each other’s experience. Bla
teaching and learning concepts, the cycle of scholarship of teaching and learning, work sheets, and useful resources that are meant to assist you. In this guidebook, the terms "Research on Teaching and Learning" and scholarship of teaching and learning may be used interchangeably. Research on teaching and learning, primarily referred to in the
What is a Teaching Portfolio? A Teaching Portfolio Outline What makes it Reflective? Moving forward What are the parts of a Teaching Portfolio Teaching Responsibilities Teaching Philosophy Teaching Methodologies Course Materials & Student Learning Teaching Effectiveness Teaching Improvement Activities
Here’s a list of African proverbs from around African the continent. Some are known to come from specific African tribes, ethnic groups, or African countries, and others have an unknown source and are listed simply as “African proverbs.” Some proverbs are romantic, some thought provoking and some
The Pan African Postal Union (PAPU) is a specialized agency of the African Union responsible for the development of postal services Africa. This responsibility was bestowed on the Union by African Heads of State and Government by the African Union (formerly, the Organization of African Unity), since the
