I have heard quite a few people say they are amazed that something like the events in Charlottesville could happen here, ‘happen in America’.
The stream of violence—often police violence—directed at Black people, Latinos, and Indigenous people is not new, nor is the violent treatment of Muslims & Indigenous people. In fact, these have all been problems since before the US of A was founded. Remember, this is the site of what may be the largest genocide in history, wither 50-million Indigenous people slaughtered and driven from their homelands.
It is wrong to teach a whitewashed version of history that favors the status quo.
Here are a few of many good resources that can help teachers deal with the racist, white supremacist, and anti-semitic attitudes & actions at Charlottesville:
- ‘Seven Ways That Teachers Can Respond to the Evil of Charlottesville‘, Rethinking Schools blog.
- ‘Global Media Reaction to Charlottesville and Trumps Comments‘
- Rethinking Schools‘ current issue focuses on dealing with difficult issues when teaching younger children.
- Yes! Magazine‘s recent ‘Sanctuary’ issue.
If you follow Twitter, see the curated hashtag #CharlottsvilleCurriculum.