Challenging the ‘Neutrality’ of History
Similar to the field of law, many argue that history is neutral, and that the teaching of it should be too. At least that is what many critics of Critical Race Theory have been discussing, as this debate has exploded in the past few months. I would argue the opposite. History is not neutral, neither is the teaching of it. What and how we choose to teach history matters. When talking specially about American history, “... the debates have focused on the balance among patriotism and American exceptionalism, on one hand, and the country’s history of exclusion and violence towards Indigenous people and the enslavement of African Americans on the other—between its ideals and its practices” (3). If we just teach part of the perspective, if we ignore the negative, we are not teaching the entire history and that is problematic for many reasons.
When teaching the history of slavery in America, not teaching its connection to race is limiting. It’s as if saying race and racism have no connection to slavery. This idea is known as “colorblindness.” The problem with this is, even though a social construct, race is a real factor that played an enormous role in slavery in America and it continues to play in role in American society today. As Larry Ferlazzo elaborates, “Colorblind” ideologies are problematic because they fail to consider racism, past or present, as determining factors associated with disparities” (4). If our aim as educators is to teach students how to be prepared for their futures, including their role in civic life, understanding the entire history of our country is crucial.
Colorblindness is also not effective and provides an unsafe environment for students. As Milton Reynolds articulated from his own educational experience, “The psychological toll of navigating the evasion and denials of colorblindness extinguished my desire for learning and obliterated the relevance of schooling” (5). As educators, we want students to be engaged. We want students to think critically and be problem solvers. We want students to feel safe. To do this, teaching from an anti-racist as opposed to a colorblind approach is critical. As Milton Reynolds illustrates, “Study after study, however, shows that this colorblind approach does not work, that it leads students to learn little and to respond to challenges with evasion, denial, and anxiety” (6). There is a better way and it starts with recognizing that race and racism have shaped the history of our nation.
Rethinking the Dominant Narrative of Slavery
“When I was in school and first really learning about racism, I was taught the popular origin story. I was taught that ignorant and racist people had instituted racist policies. But when I learned the motives behind the production of racist ideas, it became obvious that this folktale, though sensible, was not true” (7). -Ibram X. Kendi
The dominant story we tell of the country helps perpetuate existing systems of power, and as a result, continued injustice. The quote above by Kendi articulates the dominant narrative that is often taught regarding racism and slavery. This dominant narrative is problematic in that it leaves out the whole truth. As Phia S. Salter discusses, if we do not empower students with the truths or our nation’s history, and how those truths still operate today, nothing can be healed and remedied (8). In this case, the truth that racist ideas were created as a way to justify the institution of slavery. The want of this institution, stemming from greed and the hunger for power. As Toni Morrison illustrates, “Racism was never, ever the issue. Profit and money always was. And all of those quotations from William Byrd to Benjamin Franklin to Andrew Jackson to the New York Tribune, the threat was always jobs, land, or money” (9).
An alternative approach to teaching the dominant narrative is to offer a counter-narrative as a way to disrupt the dominant narrative. What does this mean? It does not mean throwing away everything you have created and compiled over the years. It does mean utilizing critical thinking skills as well as adding new resources to help construct a more accurate and comprehensive history. This unit offers students a counter-narrative by providing a deeper exploration into the history of racism and white supremacy that is directly linked to slavery in America. This unit was created for an 8th grade Social Studies class focusing on the study of U.S. history. However, it could be easily adapted to another course on U.S. history or integrated within units in other disciplines.