As the unit title indicates “New perspectives on Teaching Afro-American History” is geared toward suggesting a new approach to the teaching of Afro-American History, an approach that I like to think is appropriate to the demands educational and professional of the 1980’s. Apart from the specific historical information transmitted the unit affords student an opportunity to develop and refine those skills which relate to!
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A. organization and presentation of data;
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B. documentation;
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C. identification and usage of source materials.
Afro-American history courses, which were so plentiful during the 1960’s began to taper off during the 1970’s and as we approach the year 1981, are experiencing a steady decline. Many institutions no longer offer such courses, and many of the newly created departments of Afro-American studies have likewise been dismantled.
It was the census politics of the 1960’s and 1970’s which pushed Afro-American history courses and programs of study into the educational institutions of the larger society (prior to the 1960’s most Afro-American history courses were taught in Negro-colleges and some southern high schools). The inclusion of Afro-American history in the curriculum of predominantly white institutions and northern inner-city high schools was in part a method of placating a certain segment of the population. As a consequence, standards of content and direction were deemed secondary to the immediate necessity of advertising such courses and programs of study.
Afro-American professional organizations and/or individuals did not come together to chart a clear course of action. The opportunity to lay a solid foundation and to strengthen Afro-American history was allowed to slip by. The sense of urgency which ushered Afro-American history courses into the educational institutions of the larger society has greatly diminished. This loss of commitment, when combined with current economic conditions, have placed Afro-American history courses in a precarious position. The conditions which pushed Afro-American history courses to the top of the educational agenda no longer exist. If Afro-American history courses do not adjust to these changes in conditions, the decline will continue.
The Afro-American history courses which were introduced in the 1960’s and 1970’s were mainly information-oriented. The general consensus among both black and whites at the time focused on an overall feeling of ignorance about the black experience in America. People felt that something had been withheld from them, and they wanted it brought to light. The culmination of this thirst for knowledge was best reflected in the response to the book and television production of “Roots”. This is not to say that there is now a much greater percentage of people who have a concrete knowledge of Afro-American history. However, there is a general feeling that the information is no longer hidden: that it is available in forms that the layman, or even the non-reader, can digest. As a consequence, the need for Afro-American history to emphasize the narrative of the black experience is no longer a top priority on the educational agenda.
The emphasis placed on the ninth-grade proficiency test given in the state of Connecticut (March,1980) is indicative of the new order of educational priorities in the United States. Skill development and refinement are national concerns. Standards for teacher and student accountability have already been re-examined in many states, and will continue to be closely monitored. The acquisition of skills and/or information that can be used regardless of an individual’s particular pursuit has become a theme of the 1980’s. Afro-American history courses will have to conform to this directive: those courses which do not recognize the need to sharpen academic skills and provide a foundation for success in other disciplines are going to find the road more than a bit rough, in fact, the road might abruptly, and without warning end.
