Anti-Racism Education

What is anti-racism education?

Rewriting history invalidates those who have struggled, making it seem as if years of pain and trauma were not actually that bad. In a time when people of color, especially African Americans, are constantly dehumanized and subjected to inequality on a systemic level, educating ourselves on our history is especially important. An anti-racist curriculum nationwide is absolutely necessary, but is being opposed by our current administration.   

With this year being a pivotal moment for the Black Lives Matter movement, more and more people are recognizing the need for a commitment to racial justice and cultural awareness. Going completely against this mission, President Trump has called for a restoration of “patriotic education” (Pettypiece, 2020). With plans to sign an executive order titled the “1776 Commission,” President Trump desires to implement a national commission to support patriotic education and direct funding to create a patriotic curriculum for schools. Moreover, Trump states that he wants our children to be, “taught to love America with all of their heart and all of their souls”. This aggressively patriotic, almost eerie message promotes the idea of a “perfect America” while completely ignoring the painful reality of those exploited by this country’s path to commercial success. The Trump administration’s desire for an intentional erasure of America’s full history is harmful and introduces the absolute need for a curriculum that highlights anti-racism.  

Anti-racist work means acknowledging that racist beliefs and structures are pervasive in all aspects of our lives—from education to housing to climate change—and then actively doing work to tear down those beliefs and structure (Torres, 2020). Unfortunately, the American school system has many flaws in its curriculum when it comes to its history. Textbooks calling slaves “immigrants”, inaccurate Native American history, and the overall down-playing of the painful history of people of color are just a few examples that illustrate how our education system is fundamentally flawed. There is a need for truth among our education system, and although these conversations and topics may be uncomfortable for some, these stories need to be told accurately. 

So how do we educate ourselves and our community on anti-racism, and what does this look like? Anneliese A. Singh’s “The Racial Healing Handbook” suggests that becoming an anti-racist as a white person means taking responsibility for your power and privilege, acknowledging the feelings you have to increased multiculturalism, and actively cultivating a desire for understanding and growth (Wheaton College, 2020). In a class setting, themes including but not limited to African-American history, the presence of structural and systemic racism and its lasting effects, white privilege, and active allyship, should be discussed. For example, a school district in Charlottesville, Virginia has introduced an anti-racism program called “Reframing the Narrative,” which will provide middle and high school students with a more accurate and inclusive picture of events from the perspective of everyone those events impacted (Wyant, 2020). More specifically, this program will discuss the Black Lives Matter movement, George Floyd, and the importance of saying someone’s name to affirm their humanity. 

Moreover, many school districts have implemented a similar project called “Changing the Narrative,” funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. By developing a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Guidebook, they are able to learn how these issues relate to our economy and law systems, and what we can do for narrative change and racial healing. They incorporate the stories and themes of those who often go unheard, such as Native Americans and the impact of colonial policies on Native Peoples (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2016). 

We hope to see more school districts across the nation do their part in altering their curriculums and bringing light to anti-racism conversations. Frankly, racial inequities are embedded into our school system, creating barriers for students of color. We must strive to make these important changes to not only our curriculum, but also the structure of our school systems to cultivate a safe, anti-racist environment. 

References:

Pettypiece, S. (2020, September 17). Trump calls for 'patriotic education,' says anti-racism teachings are 'child abuse'. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-calls-patriotic-eduction-says-anti-racism-teachings-are-child-n1240372

Torres, C. (2020, July 30). All Students Need Anti-racism Education. Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/all-students-need-antiracism-education

Wheaton College. (2020, September 14). Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator. Retrieved from https://wheatoncollege.edu/academics/special-projects-initiatives/center-for-collaborative-teaching-and-learning/anti-racist-educator/

Wyant, R. (2020, March 11). Teachers from across Virginia visit Charlottesville tour Court Square as part of the Reframing the Narrative program. Retrieved from https://www.nbc29.com/2020/03/11/teachers-across-virginia-visit-charlottesville-tour-court-square-part-reframing-narrative-program/

W.K. Kellogg Foundation. (2016, December). Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Implementation Guidebook. Retrieved from https://healourcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/TRHTImplementationGuide.pdf