Juneteenth and the lack of black lives in US curricula

[BmorePat87]

Today marks 155 years since a Union officer rode into Galveston, TX and announced to the city that all slaves in the state of Texas were free men and women in accordance to the Emancipation Proclamation that had been issued over two year prior. Since June 19th, 1865, the date has grown to mark a national celebration of emancipation.





If you are celebrating, I hope the day finds you and your family and friends well. If you are not celebrating, I encourage you to take the oppurtunity to discover more about the history of this nation that far too often gets ignored.

Some may ask, "why are we just learning about this?". There's a criminal lack of focus on the contribution of minority groups in United States history, and this deficit is seen in curricula across our nation's schools. The article From Juneteenth to the Tulsa massacre: What isn't taught in classrooms has a profound impact discusses the impact of promoting a historical narrative that doesn't recognize the  contributions of and violence against marginalized groups throughout our history. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/juneteenth-tulsa-massacre-what-isn-t-taught-classrooms-has-profound-n1231442

In my class, the curriculum does not put any emphasis on decade after decade of government policy, from redlining to urban renewal to deinstitutionalization to mass incarceration to gentrification, but we are expected to learn about how smart growth can combat urban sprawl and issues plaguing cities. It's hard to actually understand why suburban growth was encouraged or why many urban sites require so much attention without understanding how these programs from decades ago caused the problems we need to confront today.
 
Take time to find out how you can get involved in your community to promote these topics in curricula.

Just yesterday, Decatur, Georgia removed the "Lost Cause" monument from outside of the DeKalb County courthouse, which has stood since 1908. Paid for by the Daughters of the Confederacy, the monument promoted the myth of the Lost Cause and served as a tool to celebrate the Confederacy and promote segregation. While the county put up a sign next to it a few months ago that explained how it promoted myths and Jim Crow America, it does not change the fact that history had been misrepresented for decades and continues to be.

HBO is making the Watchmen series free to view this weekend on their website. It focuses heavily on the Tulsa Massacre and addresses many of the issues of systemic racism. I highly recommend it.