Who writes history? Who creates the narrative? Who and what are valued? How does the story get passed down? Does anyone check for context or accuracy?
When I began teaching, it was many moons ago before we depended on the internet for information…before we carried a tiny computer in our hand…before we had access and an expectation to seek out other points of reference. It was a time when teachers were the gatekeeps of information. I am ashamed to admit that history was passed down through me to young minds by rote. I was young and simply repeated what had been repeated to me by veteran teachers who passed the narrative down. History they say is written by the victors. Many moons ago, I participated in this passing of information without context or critical analytical thinking.
As I moved through my adulthood, other influences found their way into my practice. I began to understand that it is necessary to actively seek out alternative resources outside of the mainstream and expand one’s understanding of the world. I found a group of educators interested in Critical Pedagogy and discovered resources like Rethinking Schools.
https://rethinkingschools.org/
https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/rethinking-the-american-revolution/
Eventually, I met Bill Bigelow at a Progressive Educators Network conference. I was honored to find myself running in the same circles. And as circumstance would have it, apparently Bill had been a teacher at my high school in Portland, long after I had graduated.
From the Rethinking Schools website:
"Bill Bigelow
CURRICULUM EDITOR
Bill Bigelow taught high school social studies for many years. He is curriculum editor
of Rethinking Schools magazine and author or co-editor of several Rethinking Schools books: A
People’s History for the Classroom, The Line Between Us: Teaching About the Border and
Mexican Immigration, Rethinking Columbus, Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an
Unjust World, Rethinking Our Classrooms – Volumes 1 and 2, and A People’s Curriculum for the
Earth: Teaching Climate Change and the Environmental Crisis. Most recently, he co-edited the
Rethinking Schools book, Teaching Palestine: Lessons, Stories, Voices. He co-directs the Zinn
Education Project on behalf of Rethinking Schools. Bigelow lives in Portland, Oregon, with his
wife, Linda Christensen."
Photo taken at the Barnes and Noble in Manhattan Beach, CA
Way led on to way, and I found myself introduced to A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. A must read for every teacher and kidlit author, for that matter. As a follow-up to Howard Zinn’s writing, please check out The Zinn Education Project.
https://www.zinnedproject.org/
https://www.zinnedproject.org/why/
Another amazing organization that has been around for decades is Teaching for Change.
https://www.teachingforchange.org/
https://www.teachingforchange.org/talking-to-young-children-about-america-
From the Teaching For Change website
"Deborah Menkart, Executive Director
Raised in D.C., Deborah’s activism began in junior high school when she protested D.C.’s “taxation without representation” and the “dresses-only” dress code for girls. The dress code changed, but D.C.’s colonial status continues. Her perspective on the world was shaped by being the first born in the U.S. of European immigrants on both sides of her family and being raised by a single mother who worked as a dressmaker. During the 1970s Deborah lived in San Diego, California, where she worked as a shipyard electrician and was active in the antiwar, women’s, international solidarity, and labor movements. Through all of these experiences she decided that for any social justice movement in the U.S. to succeed, a change in pre-K—12 education is essential. Since 1989 she has been pursuing that goal in her work at Teaching for Change."
Once activated, I became aware of this organization in the earlier days of teaching and my practice was forever changed. Years later, found myself sitting next to Deborah Menkart at my table at the CABA book awards when my book, Egyptian Lullaby received the award in 2024 from Howard University. I was thrilled to meet her in person and couldn’t believe she had chosen to sit at my table. Make sure you take advantage of their booklist! (where you'll also find my book, Egyptian Lullaby.)
https://www.socialjusticebooks.org/
These people and resources were instrumental in broadening my horizons and expanding my understanding of history and its many points of entry.
In addition to finding resources and developing a much more expansive knowledge base as a teacher (and eventually as a children’s book author), I began to discover the United States history in context with the other countries in our world through traveling.
One memory that sticks out is of a bookstore owner in Chiapas Mexico. I believe he was an expat. For no apparent reason, he randomly gave me the last book, Century of the Wind from the trilogy Memory of Fire by Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano. What a treasure. These three books are of course written originally in Spanish. The English translation is gorgeous so I can only imagine the original text. Galeano tells the story of the Americas through short lyrical prose. He creates short vignettes to take the reader through a history that acknowledges the imperialism of the US and the effect it has on the surrounding countries. Galeano provides windows into what was occurring in the different countries simultaneously throughout a timeline. It is like drinking a fine wine. The writing is exquisite. It is an amazing history lesson as well as a beautifully crafted journey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduardo_Galeano
On a different trip, a young person in Cuba ran up to me and put a miniature book in the palm of my hand. It was Fidel Castro’s History Will Absolve Me. No matter your politics or beliefs, I believe it is crucial to read to expand your understanding...to extend the possibilities...to see your world with fewer limitations and in a broader context.
It’s never too late.
Just recently, I was traveling in South America. Someone asked me where I was from. I know better, but for some reason I said, “America.” The minute the word came out of my mouth, I knew it felt wrong. And it was. The Columbian intellectual in front of me was quick to correct my error. “You are part of America but you are not America. We are all American.” Duly noted.
It’s never too late to examine the narrative we’ve been handed and adjust it, instead of just passing it to our youth thoughtlessly, both as teachers and authors. History after all, is a living entity, growing, transforming, and everchanging. It belongs to all of us, not just the victors.
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