How Should We Teach about Slavery?
Suggested Readings and Resources to Consult
- 1. U.S. History OpenStax pgs: 331-357
- 2. Teaching America’s Truth
- 3. Five Myths about Slavery
Background
From your reading for this week:
The “Teaching Hard History” report called out American schools for failing to teach the “breadth and depth” of how slavery came to be and how it continues to manifest itself in America. It issued a withering rebuke of a dozen middle and high school textbooks for their inadequacy in explaining slavery and its ongoing impact. And it offered guidance for teaching that addresses the experiences of enslaved people, the economics behind the enterprise, the rationales for its existence, including white supremacy, the resistance it spawned and how its legacy remains with us.
Question
In a response that is at least 250 words and pulls from the readings and resources listed up above, respond to this prompt:
How should American schools teach about slavery in a way that is authentic, mindful of the past, and invites productive conversation about race and U.S. History moving forward?
