ONE PLACE TO START THAT MEASURE
OF CHANGE OUR SCHOOLS.
THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING DEBATE
IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OVER
WHO IS WRITING THE STORIES IN
AMERICAN HISTORY AND HOW THEY
SHAPE THE VIEWS OF OUR NATION’S
CHILDREN.
>> MANY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
REVISIONISM AND WHITEWASHING OF
HISTORY.
PAULA TUTMAN STARTED THE
DISCUSSION ON CHANGE IS NEEDED
AND HOW HISTORY IS TAUGHT IN OUR
SCHOOL SYSTEM.
>> AT THE CENTER FOR
CONTEMPORARY ART IN DETROIT,
PREPARING TO INSTALL A NEW
EXHIBIT IN TWO DAYS.
>> WHITE HISTORY MONTH VOLUME
ONE AND TWO. >> WHAT THE 40-YEAR-OLD GALLERY
>> WHAT THE 40-YEAR-OLD GALLERY
DEEMS TO PUSH A DESIRE.
ACUTELY AWARE, FRAMERS OF THE
UNITED STATES SPEAK OF IS
TREATING STUDENTS AS EXPLORERS
BEYOND THEIR OWN CULTURAL BACK
YARDS.
>> MAY NOT GO TO AFRICA, EUROPE,
WHAT HAVE YOU, IF THEY BECOME
EXPLORERS, WHEN YOU TEACH THEM
TO EXPLORE, THEN WHAT HAPPENS
THEY END UP LEARNING THIS GLOBAL
LIFE RIGHT THERE WHERE THEY ARE.
>> HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM
CALLED SYSTEMIC RACISM?
100,000 HORSEPOWERED ENGINE IN
THIS NATION BELIEVE THE DRIVING
FORCE MUST BE IN CHANGING THE
WAY WE TEACH HISTORY IN OUR
CLASSROOMS.
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE DETROIT
PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMUNITY
DISTRICT.
>> THERE IS THIS GROWING OF
WHITE SUPREMACY, OF THESE WHITE
POWER MOVEMENTS.
I PARTIALLY BLAME OUR SCHOOLS.
IF WE TAUGHT IT AND ALLOWED
WHITE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT WHITE PRIVILEGE
MEANS AND WHAT WHITENESS MEANS,
WE CAN DECONSTRUCT THAT AND HAVE
DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
>> CEO OF RIGHT MUSEUM OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY.
>> IMPULSE FOR TEACHING FOR THE
LAST FIVE DECADES OR SO HAS BEEN
ABOUT TELLING A NICE STORY,
RIGHT ABOUT THE AMERICAN DREAM,
AMERICAN VALUES.
TRYING TO SPIN EVERYTHING SO
EVERYBODY MADE NICE.
THANKSGIVINGS WITH INDIANS AND
PILGRIMS WAS A NICE STORY.
PEOPLE HAVE GROWN UP NOT
UNDERSTANDING THE REALITY AND
THE REAL STORY OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT VARIOUS TIMES IN
HAPPENING AT VARIOUS TIMES IN
OUR HISTORY.
>> PROFESSOR ERIN DWYER SAID
INCORPORATING SINCE THE MOVIE
CAME OUT IS A SHORT CHANGE OF
THE RICH GOOD AND BATH BAD THAT
BUILT THIS NATION AND GIVEN
COVER TO A LEGACY THAT CONTINUES
TO SHAPE THE UNITED STATES.
>> PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE IN
PARTICULAR HAVE TO BE WILLING TO
SIT WITH DISCOMFORT IN
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RACE
RELATIONS, AND THE HISTORY OF
RACISM IN AMERICA AND HOW THAT
HAS ALLOWED SYSTEMIC RACISM TO
ACCRUE OVER CENTURIES.
>> ITS ROOTS LINKED TO SLAVERY
THAT HAVE PERPETUATED HISTORY
FROM POLITICS TO JOB
OPPORTUNITIES TO INCARCERATION TO POLICE BRUTALITY.
TO POLICE BRUTALITY.
IT IS ALL LINKED TO THAT.
>> THIS MAYBE A LOT OF THINGS,
IT IS DEFINITELY NOT ABOUT BLACK
LIVES.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN THEY COME FOR
YOU.
AT THIS RATE THEY WILL.
>> I AM GOING TO TELL THEM IT
WAS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN
THREATENING MY LIFE.
>> UNLESS YOU TEACH IT DIRECTLY,
EVEN IF IT IS UNKUFRTABLE, EVEN
IF YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT YOURSELF
AND YOUR FAMILY DIFFERENTLY,
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO
THE OTHER SIDE OF RACISM.
>> MUST BE EXPANSION OF HISTORY
TAUGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF
LEARNING AND THROUGHOUT
EDUCATION.
THE BLOOMFIELD HILLS SCHOOL
DISTRICT.
>> ONLY SOME PEOPLE GET TO WRITE
HISTORY.
STORY TELLINGS HAPPENING
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS TO GET A
GRASS B ON WHAT HAPPENED.
>> IF WE CAN GET ON THE RECORD
COMPLETE NARRATIVE, RECOGNIZES
THIS SIDE AND THAT STORY PEOPLE
WILL BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND.
THAT IS NOT MY LIVED EXPERIENCE.
I UNDERSTAND ALL THESE PEOPLE I
KNOW, THAT I LIVE WITH, THAT I
WORK WITH, OPERATING SOCIETY WHO
HAVE HAD A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCE WITH THE AMERICAN
IDEAL.
>> WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE
TEACHING A TRUE HISTORY
INCLUDING ALL PERSPECTIVES IN
EVERYTHING WE DO.
IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE
HIGHLIGHT AND CENSURE THE VOICES
AND RAISED OR LOOKED OVER FOR
CENTURIES.
>> I SEE THIS AS AN ISSUE CAN
OFTEN BE A SENSE AS HISTORY IS
AN ADDITIVE.
WE’LL SPRINKLE IN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AS A
TREAT INSTEAD OF SEEING IT IS AT
THE CORE OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
>> WHEN CHILDREN CAN SEE
THEMSELVES AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO
DO NOT LOOK LIKE THEM AS PART OF
THEIR HISTORY, IT BECOMES JUST
HISTORY.
>> USUALLY WHEN YOU ARE HAVING
DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING OTHERS THEY
ARE ACTUALLY SHINING SOMETHING
BACK ON YOU ABOUT YOU.
WHEN YOU ACCEPT THOSE
DIFFERENCES, YOU ACCEPT YOUR
DIFFERENCES.
>> WHO IS SELMA BURKE, WHO
INVENTED GAS MASK AS WELL AS
STREET LIGHT?
NOT IN THIS BOOK.
INCLUDING MORE DIVERSE STORIES
DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES AND
CONTRIBUTIONS.
THAT IS WHERE THE FULL HISTORY