Establishing an Anti-Racist Curriculum in Schools

Over the past couple of months, people have taken to Change.org and other petition sites, advocating for long-lasting systemic change in the education system within their school districts. Discussions have been sparked on the call for pedagogy as an effective tool when it comes to discussing racism. 

Educators have a duty to utilize effective methods of teaching and creating change within the classroom. Certain measures aren’t being taken from school officials to create an inclusive environment within classrooms. Textbooks have yet to cover all aspects of races and cultures and historical events are being brushed over. Changes need to be implemented and the call to action has many voicing their concerns over the history of white supremacy not being discussed. 

Digital Activism in the Age of Covid-19

In the age of COVID, digital activism has taken a front seat in enacting change where educational systems are not. A Change.org petition created in July 2020 calling on the Tuscon Unified School District to create an anti-racist curriculum composed of individualized lessons on BIPOC histories, teaching about microaggressions and implicit biases, and more. This trend can be seen in various school systems across the country. Calling on officials to act has sparked change, but at a glacial pace.

A student-led movement in Washoe County, Nevada urged school district officials to bring anti-racist teachings to the classrooms after Isabel Peralta, a student from Galena High School, asked any willing students on Twitter if they wanted to launch a campaign to incorporate history lessons featuring Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

Currently the U.S. school curriculum centers the narratives of white men, rendering the voices and experiences of marginalized people as invisible or invalid.

Beyond just listening and inviting all voices to be heard, equitable representation broadly covers texts that will help all students be successful in understanding various cultural identities and views.

Equity recognizes across racial and socioeconomic lines, that the road to accomplishing things is not equal to all. Yet, equitable representation does make it a point to deal fairly with all concerned.

Incorporating equitable representation in classrooms can be done in a variety of ways - whether it be incorporating the role of women in the Civil Rights Movement or historical figures of color. These methods can foster a learning environment where students are seen and included. 

Diversify our Narrative is another incredible student-led initiative online that targets American school boards and advocates for an anti-racist curriculum that engages students and educates them on prominent issues in society. The organization was founded this June (2020) and seeks to make a change across the nation. In their mission statement, they mention that the first way of achieving a racially diverse and inclusive curriculum comes, “…through the integration of anti-racist and diverse texts in English and Literature classes.””.

Inequities in U.S. educational system

The current education system has been founded on historically racist practices and integrated little to no history from those in disenfranchised groups. For example, a recent study showed that when teachers were asked to assess students and their abilities, Black children were scored less than white students by faculty despite having similar scores. These practices can start as early as preschool and continue on. 

A money problem that has been prevalent in school districts revolves around funding and property taxes. The segregation of rich and poor households is evident through property values. Different neighborhoods and districts vary, and therefore, so do tax revenues. This racially discriminatory practice has put many low-income schools at a crossroads. The struggle between raising money locally and experiencing drastic state funding cuts are only being amplified with the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a lack of resources in schools that primarily affect low-income areas, already put children at a disadvantage without the opportunity for them to do anything about it.

The educational barriers continue all the way through higher-education levels and school districts along with government officials end up turning a blind eye. Those who come to understand and utilize their privilege to push for the visibility and equity of underrepresented groups are powerful tools for education reform. However, exposing students to various cultures is simply not enough, it takes having students analyze their backgrounds and communities. 

Ways to Address Systemic Racism in U.S. Education

Ways to tackle racism, or “decolonize” the curriculum, should center the voices of BIPOC without objectifying or tokenizing them. The transformative shift to approaching education through a diverse and inclusive lens starts with incorporating the right material. 

California’s educational curriculum is making some strides as of recently towards addressing systemic racism. AB 331, which calls to add a one-semester ethnic studies course to California’s curriculum, was approved. From now on, the course is mandatory to fulfill the high-school graduation requirement. Not only will this course build more well-rounded individuals, it will further shine a light on parts of history that the United States curriculum doesn’t cover fully. Although this bill still has its limitations, such as excluding certain ethnic groups, it is a meaningful first step in representing different community cultures.

In order to understand how people develop racist ideologies, we must step back and consider where ideas can stem from and who historically has had the power to decide what curriculum is taught in our classrooms.