Curriculum Corrected
I created an innovative Instagram account aimed to combat the historical
inaccuracies within the United States education system.
Eugene, OR
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For decades, our history books have white-washed stories they shouldn’t be telling. Our job is to educate students on the miseducation within our lives. Whether it’s inside the classroom or in your own home, we need to be telling the truth about what Indigenous people lost on Thanksgiving, what holidays are ignored without representation, what the American dream really means, and who we are forgetting changed the course of the civil rights movement. Find out through Curriculum Corrected.
Our history lessons highlight the action of civil rights activists, like Rosa Parks who risked her life for bus desegregation but left out several others who deserve recognition. The individuals mentioned have delivered speeches, organized committees, and led marches just as Martin Luther King Jr. did. They may have done the work, and now their dedication should be BROUGHT TO LIGHT.
Martin Luther King Jr. is the civil rights leader that altered the course of the era, but our textbooks don't cover half the reputation he built. At just the age of 19, King took matters into his own hands and started speaking as a minister. His speeches led him to the public speak we know and love him for today. On the contrary, he represented non-violent tactics, yet these strategies got him imprisoned nearly 30 times. He was constantly involved with desegregation, and technically going against the laws of several states. With this in mind, he was under FBI surveillance while FIGHTING FOR EQUALITY. King had the compassion and the drive we all admire, but his life wasn't nearly as perfect as we all thought.
Women during the civil rights era took a major role in the development of equality, but they are simply pushed to the side within curriculums. Take these lessons and see the women that aren't talked about enough within the classroom.
Mamie Till is a mother as well as an activist. Till's actions after her son, Emmett Till, passed away led to her growth in the civil rights era. She took a chance during tragedy and showed the world what needed to change. Her family represented a safe place for Black people everywhere. Mamie was the center of Emmett Till's story and chose to fight for change.
Fannie Lou Hamer is one of the strongest leaders to come out of the civil rights era. Hamer's passions, voter registration, and bus desegregation became a nationwide focus under the rise of her leadership. Her famous speech at the National Democratic Convention was taped over on television by President Lyndon B. Johnson himself. Her power and her message are a force to be reckoned with. This made her the influential activist we need to learn about today.
Ella Baker is one of the most memorable leaders of the civil rights era. Baker was one of the sole reasons the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was born. Baker's passion and opinions for voter registration and citizen-training gained her full leadership within the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Baker worked alongside the biggest names within the civil rights era yet she doesn't get nearly as much recognition for her strength and determination as a leader.
Diane Nash took civil rights into the classroom. Nash saw the importance of education when no one else was taking a second thought. Nash took a risk to give children the proper education, yet was imprisoned for teaching nonviolent tactics. Nash was telling students the truth while the people around her thought she was saying too much. Nash was vital to the Freedom Rides and continues to influence the world today. The fight for civil rights is not over and Diane has been there every step of the way.
Over the decades, the Black Panther Party has developed a negative connotation as the Black Power movement that changed the civil rights era. They went against the original nonviolent tactics and it was unheard of. They set a new precedent and aren't recognized for the revolutionary work they accomplished. Even though they were seen as dangerous and rebellious, they set the record straight and directly fight for civil rights within America. Learn about these influential leaders, and why educators are too scared to applaud them in American history lessons.
Bobby Seale was a leader who broke the boundaries of the civil rights era. As a Black Panther Party founder, Seale set a precedent for violence within the movement and we can see the differences in the choices he made. Seale protested, was arrested, and left the Black Panther Party for four years. Seale's time may have been short, but the community he fueled was much more significant. Seale ran for mayor and gained the love and support of the people around him. Seale was a new role model and represented the hope and change the civil rights movement needed.
Fred Hampton was a figure who we seem to forget. Hampton is more forgetful than others because of his tragic death that history has pushed to the side. As an FBI wrongdoing, our American history books don't want to own up to their mistakes. Hampton should be recognized for his triumphs and accomplishments. Hampton altered the environment revolving gang wars within Chicago, and has impacted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Hampton was more than just an illegal assassination.
Women were the superpower within the Black Panther Party. Elaine Brown rose to become a bold female leader of the Black Panthers. Kathleen Cleaver served as the communications secretary. Both of these roles landed these women spots on the Panther Central Committee to later play a bigger role. As women, we don't pay attention to their role within the party as much as we should. They were vital parts of making sure the campaign stayed afloat in chaos.
Erika Huggins was the longest-serving female leader within the party and it shows. As a large part of the Black Lives Matter movement today, she has become an influential writer, editor, facilitator, and speaker within education and the future of civil rights. Each of these women are still alive today and our curriculum needs to highlight that. We focus too much on the deaths of significant leaders instead of learning about the things that activists are doing today. These women haven't stopped fighting for what is right since their involvement in the Black Panther Party.
One problem that needs to be addressed is the outdated lessons stressed within American curriculums. We don't focus enough on the real-life issues in our everyday society and it shows within our students. Our fight for civil rights is still going on today and students don't know. They think that this horror is history yet it is right outside their schools.
Police brutality is one of the biggest problems within racial biases in everyday life. It is constantly occurring and Tyre Nichols is the most recent example. Nichols was 29 years old and ready to start his life until it was taken away from him. Moments like this put into perspective how much our world really hasn't changed. It reaffirms that we are still living within the civil rights era that we were taught ended several years ago.
Another reason the civil rights era is evident today is through the actions of United States politics. Recently, Governor Ron DeSantis took part in the banning of the AP African American Studies course within the state of Florida. This act spoke volumes about the stance on education and what we think is acceptable. Students need to have the right to choose what they learn, as well as have the ability to learn the truth about our world. African American history is a part of U.S. history and DeSantis chooses to ignore this fact. People like DeSantis still exist and educators can't ignore them. As students and teachers, acknowledging and talking about our society and its issues needs to start now.
Why does this matter? I chose to introduce these influential figures because of the little amount of representation they have within education. These leaders, women, and change-makers have done the work with no recognition. In education, we stick to the white-washed narratives engrained in our brains instead of going beyond the mold. Our society must change and our education needs to evolve with it. Being able to reflect on the world around us will only make our curriculum better and more accurate for students.
We have learned so much and what now? Equality won't be achieved overnight and we have to work hard at it. As members of today's society, we need to take it one step at a time. Educating the students of today now will give them the perspective and strength to learn more about them. They can become confident with social issues and feel capable to approach these problems. Creating an open environment within classrooms is the start of feeling more comfortable with everyday social issues. We must initiate the conversations noted above to pave the way to change. This is one step to an educated world.
The Student Voice
A digital publication curating the best secondary school journalism nationwide.
Eugene, OR
Design.
