I think it is so amazing to see that curriculum is being developed to support the students within schools. Too often, students of color are disenfranchised and not represented in the curriculum of their schools. Additionally, students who are not of color may not be conscious of the experiences of people beyond their own experience.
For example, look at this image that has gone viral for a student of color’s response to a teacher’s instruction regarding Christopher Columbus.
First of all, this teacher clearly needs serious sensitivity training when it comes to teaching cultural topics. At this point in time, is there anyone denying the atrocities committed by European “explorers” or more appropriately conquistadores! Even if the colonization of America (or more accurately, the Caribbean) by Christopher Columbus is part of the curriculum, why is the violence and oppression and genocide of the indigenous people he imposed also not included? And then when a child obviously has knowledge of that information… why is there not a validation and acknowledgement of that?
That is why more room needs to be made for alternate voices of history. Alternate perspectives. As the famous quote goes “History is written by the victors.” we know this, and if we want to truly be informed, and what our children to truly be informed, we need to include multiple perspectives on issues, even at the elementary school level.
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