White supremacy in U.S. school curriculum
[1] Such perspectives have contributed to a skewed historical understanding that aligns with the narratives of white supremacy, as seen in the promotion of the “Lost Cause” ideology, which romanticizes the Confederacy and overlooks the realities of racial oppression.
These narratives are reflected in history textbooks and classroom teachings, which have historically omitted critical discussions about slavery and the fight for racial justice, thereby shaping the nation's collective memory to favor white-centric views.
[4][13][14] Some historical and contemporary scholars argue that White supremacy characterizes all of the political, economic, social, and cultural institutions of the United States,[15][3][7][9][13] and that this makes it a pervasive force that is a part of everyone's lives, down to personal identity.
Many White Americans at this time explicitly intended to enact cultural genocide on the native peoples, thus removing them as threats.
[13] Mills argued this has left non-White peoples out of numerous academic discourses, save for some ethnicity and race-specific courses off to the sides.
[20][12][16] Alternatively, Mills and Boutte argue continuing to teach in ways that do not actively address race will perpetuate White supremacy.
[13][16] In "A Spectacular Secret:’ Understanding the Cultural Memory of Racial Violence in K-12 Official School Textbooks in the Era of Obama,” Brown and Brown assert that some Americans only began to consider the United States a post-racial society with the election of President Obama because U.S. schools do not introduce students to the idea that racism is systemic, and that racial inequality will not go away unless proactively sought out and removed.
[3][4][9] More specifically, in the early 1900s, Chinese and Japanese Americans experienced large amounts of xenophobia (see Yellow Peril) because of White hostility to the cultural changes Asian immigrants were bringing about, and as a result, several decrees were passed in California schools that severely limited the amount of material Asian-descended students could learn about their ancestral countries, and required them to learn Euro-American history and patriotism for the U.S.[9] In a recent incident, the Tucson Unified School District temporarily banned Mexican American Studies in 2012 (this has since been declared unconstitutional).
[9][23] Beginning with early colonization and continuing into the 1900s, many White Americans firmly believed in the superiority of European culture to that of the Natives (and in general).
Christianity was also a central part of the school experience, with the Bible frequently being used for reading exercises and weekly church attendance often being required.
[4][9] Children were also educated to be patriotic toward the United States, despite the fact that this meant accepting a country which defined itself in terms of the subordination and assimilation of Native peoples.
Students who speak standardized English in their households will be able to rely on these seven privileges: 1) they will understand the readings, and media they are exposed to at school 2) They will not be ridiculed or socially excluded because of their speech patterns 3) Other people will not assume they are less smart based on their language 4) They will fully comprehend directions given in schoolwork and assessments 5) They will understand their teachers and other school authorities, and these authorities will understand them 6) Mainstream culture will not make fun of the way they talk 7) Their natural speech habits will be acceptable to use with regard to testing at school, communication with individuals in authority, and in professional settings, such as applying for jobs.
At the same time, students who grow up speaking other dialects will have greater difficulty in school, experiencing the opposite of these privileges.
Nineteenth-century geography textbooks were used to teach children about different races (presumed to be fixed, naturally occurring categories at the time) within the context of a racial hierarchy.
"[9] A vast array of negative images and narratives about Black people, and Black Americans in particular, have been constructed and used in school curriculum to the effect of maintaining White supremacy in the U.S.[9] Critical appraisals of African-descended peoples have been used to justify their enslavement and exploitation by Whites since the Enlightenment Era, as well as their continued struggles with poverty after Reconstruction.
[6] Stereotypes that Black people were irresponsible, childlike, and naturally subordinate to Whites appeared in reading comprehension exercises and math problems in elementary school textbooks.
[26] After the Reconstruction Era in the US, in response to the desegregation of public schools, many White Southern Segregationist women advocated against students having access to textbooks that would promote racial tolerance and communism.
[6][9] Furthermore, scientific racism, the use of pseudo-scientific research to argue for the inferiority of some races to others, figured prominently in discussions of Black people in biology during the 18th century.
[6][9] As White Americans moved west in the 19th century, they came into contact both with purely indigenous peoples and with populations formerly a part of the Spanish colonial empire.
[9] Curricular segregation entailed separating Mexican American students from their White peers and placing them in less intellectually engaging, more manual skill-focused courses of study that supposedly better fit their mental capabilities.
[7][16][21] Huber et al. (2006) writes that Euro- or White-centric curriculum can contribute to the normalization of racial inequality and tolerance of White dominance.
[7] Crawford (1992) and Hudley and Mallinson (2012) state that non-White students may struggle in school and in life due to their races’ and cultures’ marginalization in curriculum.
[12][20] In "An Analysis of Textbooks Relative to the Treatment of Black Americans," Allen raises concerns about the lack of opportunities to see themselves as having academic or professional potential.
[8] These authors assert that lack of meaningful use and discussion of non-White perspectives, practices, and feats may lead minority students to feel disillusioned with school, to disengage from learning, and to doubt their own capabilities.
[5] Lelia Amos Pendleton generated textbooks designed to educate about Black Americans' contributions and experiences in the U.S.[14] Additionally, Du Bois, Jessie Fause, Arna Bontemps, and Paul Lawrence Dunbar have published books for children to provide alternatives to racist children's books in the early 20th century.
[13] Supplemental and alternative curricula are currently being circulated throughout primary and secondary education systems, particularly in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
[32] Black Lives Matter at School aims to better inform students of U.S. racial dynamics by providing antiracist materials for teachers to incorporate into their curricula.
[33] Critical conversations, like the murder of George Floyd, tend to be silenced in classroom settings which stops disagreements, discussions, or debates over certain issues.
