Unit II: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”: Does the Study of the Past Help Us Improve the Future?
As I explored this unit’s readings,
I couldn’t help but feel inspired, confused, enlightened, unaware, encouraged, grateful,
and devastated all at the same time.
These feelings started with James Baldwin’s Letter from a Region in
My Mind in which I was called to consider a person’s perspective and state
of consciousness when it comes to issues of race, but also those underlying
issues of religion, love, and what it means to be “a good citizen”…and really
even on a much larger, more important scale, to be a good human…or to even act
humanely as a starting point. I have
always felt a certain tugging at my insides when I have been asked to dive into
racial relations, slavery, the horrible things that have happened between white
and black, past and present, my ancestors, his ancestors, her ancestors, and he and she and I presently. I have grappled with these thoughts and feelings
as I have read text books, historical accounts and narratives, while I’ve talked
with people who look both differently and similarly to myself about race
relations and our nation’s soiled past, and as I have simply walked past those who
might look, talk, or act differently than me.
In these times, I sometimes wonder what the other might be thinking or
feeling about what I am saying or how I carry myself, just as I am having
internal and external reactions to my companion’s (or stranger’s) thoughts or
looks or gestures. Somehow, this self-conscious
state creeps in, but perhaps those moments kindle a heightened level of
awareness, and thereafter, understanding and growth.
I could probably write pages pertaining to all of my light bulb and head-nodding moments as I read each article for the unit, particularly the writing of Baldwin, but rather, I want to focus on the ways in which a few of the selections from the past couple of weeks really got me thinking about a person’s tendency to remain self-conscious versus socially conscious…self-aware versus culturally aware. This exploration of sorts made me realize that the two play upon each other and weave together into this tight-knit relationship with each piece pushing and then pulling back toward the other again. It is safe to say that when you acquire new information and new understandings that you tend to look inside yourself and ask yourself how do I feel about this new information…this new understanding? How does this apply to me and my current position in society? What does this say about me? What have I been doing wrong and what can I do to not mess things up any further? Listening to James Baldwin’s experiences as a black man in American was hard on me. But it shouldn’t have been at this point in my life. I have been in school far too long and have taken WAY too many history courses (both world and American) to have not gained some of these extremely important insights by now. Right? So what does this say about our educational system?
I believe that the information presented in the Smithsonian article, and in the study by the University of British Columbia regarding the Parliament murals, AND in “History- It Can be Elementary,” all speak to the same fact that classrooms can do better. The depiction of the ways in which educators gloss over our nation’s history—particularly the more violent/embarrassing/non-kid-friendly episodes are spot on. I am guilty of this in many instances, whether due to time constraints or fear of parental backlash from providing information that could be seen as too explicit, etc. I now have been inspired to give my students greater opportunity for active, accurate investigation of historical accounts, and to allow them to have those hard (though guided) conversations that will allow them to gain useful, real insights into our nation’s history, but also, insights into how to have difficult conversations and deal with awkward, self-conscious feelings. Perhaps, in this way, my students will feel more compelled to look within for deeper understanding but also to look outward for hard sources—to investigate as a historian might in order to participate as an informed, understanding citizen who might be able to empathize with those who are different from themselves or whose ancestors might have been on the wrong side of something as shattering as slavery.
I believe that one must understand not only his/her own past, or even his/her own parents’ pasts, but our nation’s past as well as the world’s view of our nation’s past in order to remain conscious, learn from past mistakes, and promote positive social change. Hopefully we, as educators, can reach our little people now in order to provide them with the tools they will need to be able to research, remain open-minded, and educate themselves, allowing them to remain socially conscious throughout their lives. In the words of Baldwin, “If we—and now I mean the relatively conscious whites and the relatively conscious blacks, who must, like lovers, insist on, or create, the consciousness of the others—do not falter in our duty now, we may be able, handful that we are, to end the racial nightmare, and achieve our country, and change the history of the world.”
I could probably write pages pertaining to all of my light bulb and head-nodding moments as I read each article for the unit, particularly the writing of Baldwin, but rather, I want to focus on the ways in which a few of the selections from the past couple of weeks really got me thinking about a person’s tendency to remain self-conscious versus socially conscious…self-aware versus culturally aware. This exploration of sorts made me realize that the two play upon each other and weave together into this tight-knit relationship with each piece pushing and then pulling back toward the other again. It is safe to say that when you acquire new information and new understandings that you tend to look inside yourself and ask yourself how do I feel about this new information…this new understanding? How does this apply to me and my current position in society? What does this say about me? What have I been doing wrong and what can I do to not mess things up any further? Listening to James Baldwin’s experiences as a black man in American was hard on me. But it shouldn’t have been at this point in my life. I have been in school far too long and have taken WAY too many history courses (both world and American) to have not gained some of these extremely important insights by now. Right? So what does this say about our educational system?
I believe that the information presented in the Smithsonian article, and in the study by the University of British Columbia regarding the Parliament murals, AND in “History- It Can be Elementary,” all speak to the same fact that classrooms can do better. The depiction of the ways in which educators gloss over our nation’s history—particularly the more violent/embarrassing/non-kid-friendly episodes are spot on. I am guilty of this in many instances, whether due to time constraints or fear of parental backlash from providing information that could be seen as too explicit, etc. I now have been inspired to give my students greater opportunity for active, accurate investigation of historical accounts, and to allow them to have those hard (though guided) conversations that will allow them to gain useful, real insights into our nation’s history, but also, insights into how to have difficult conversations and deal with awkward, self-conscious feelings. Perhaps, in this way, my students will feel more compelled to look within for deeper understanding but also to look outward for hard sources—to investigate as a historian might in order to participate as an informed, understanding citizen who might be able to empathize with those who are different from themselves or whose ancestors might have been on the wrong side of something as shattering as slavery.
I believe that one must understand not only his/her own past, or even his/her own parents’ pasts, but our nation’s past as well as the world’s view of our nation’s past in order to remain conscious, learn from past mistakes, and promote positive social change. Hopefully we, as educators, can reach our little people now in order to provide them with the tools they will need to be able to research, remain open-minded, and educate themselves, allowing them to remain socially conscious throughout their lives. In the words of Baldwin, “If we—and now I mean the relatively conscious whites and the relatively conscious blacks, who must, like lovers, insist on, or create, the consciousness of the others—do not falter in our duty now, we may be able, handful that we are, to end the racial nightmare, and achieve our country, and change the history of the world.”
I am so glad I was able to read your post. I deeply connected with the ideas you wrote about in your post. I found your concerns about parental backlash and time constraints to be something that is always in the back of my mind. I also found myself guilty of not giving a true look in to the history of the U.S. and providing an oversimplified version. “The depiction of the ways in which educators gloss over our nation’s history—particularly the more violent/embarrassing/non-kid-friendly episodes are spot on.” As you noted about yourself, this is also something I constantly struggle with, though like yourself, I also felt a renewed idea about the importance of educating my students about these ideas.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I thoroughly enjoyed in your post was your discussion of the importance of students understanding their own historical backgrounds. As we know, students of color do not see themselves represented in many of the things we do. This is such an important point and gives me such pause about how I am representing and teaching my own students about their history. One thing that I often see happen especially with young students is the singling out of students when speaking about issues of race. I understand that race is a reality but often do not know how to handle it when my young students single out a student of color. How can I use this to teach my students kindness, understanding, and respect and not start the ideas of separation? As a teacher, I model kindness and respect but I wonder what hidden ideals am I presenting to my students based on what parts of history I teach and those I choose to leave out.
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post and the conversation it brought about. It was a beautiful post, one that really moved me!
Yours was the last post I read for this Unit. I'm glad I saved it for last. Because you seemed to respond to the Baldwin essay with the same depth of emotion that it provoked in me. I needed that sense of confirmation and you kindly gave it to me. Thank you!
When I teach global education, I often turn to the work of David Selby and Graham Pike. They have a beautiful, holistic framework for understanding what global education is. But one line they use I come back to again and again: "the journey outwards is the journey inwards." Education is a journey. As we go further and further into unchartered and strange territories (for us, as individuals), we are provoked to uncover deeper and more hidden aspects of ourselves. As we uncover the wounds of the world, we discover with some horror our own wounds. We also learn to rejoice with others and we rejoice in ourselves.
This is exactly where you seem to land in this post as you write about the back and forth of self and social consciousness. And Baldwin seems to land there as well. His notion that our racial nightmare stems from, at bottom, the inability of white people to love themselves and each other, is so insightful and scary and hopeful that I can spend a lot of time with it. But it does show how it's all connected, that dialectic between inner and outer experience, self and society. The work of history education seems very much to me to be ideally centered in that play. If we are not uncovered something about ourselves when we study others, we maybe aren't doing that much--not putting enough on the line.
So I would encourage you to go forward. In my experience, if we are authentically and lovingly connecting students with aspects of their own deep selves (individual and cultural), then the backlash won't exist. It's only when we put people on the defensive that this happens. I feel like Baldwin models a way to tell a horrible truth but still aim to work and act "like lovers." Wow.
Thanks for your post.
Kyle