Cultural Pride
Students learn that they can use individual or collective assets to navigate and challenge systemic injustices or inequity of opportunities, or to increase pride in cultural identity
Introduction
A common theme in the projects students worked on in the fall is that they don’t feel heard by those in positions of power. This has fed into a mindset that they are recipients of culture rather than active participants in it. I wanted to create opportunities for my students to take pride in their cultural history and demonstrate to them how their collective voice can work to celebrate their identity. I felt that Black History Month was an appropriate time to teach students that they can use collective assets to increase pride in their cultural identity. I explicitly taught students the history of Black history and pushed them to educate themselves on pivotal figures in their cultural heritage. They used this knowledge to advocate for a change in the way our school operates.
Table of Contents
Explicit Teaching
Black History Month
I began this project by discussing Black History Month with my students. I pointed out that they have learned about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X every year, but they have not gone deeper in their coursework. Students were quick to point out that every social studies teacher they have had in their academic careers has been white. I framed the discussion as one that demanded action - how can we know better so that we can teach others?
Learning about civil rights outside the context of where they are "supposed" to learn about these figures led students to engage more deeply with the material. They were more deeply engaged with learning about Wyatt Tee Walker than they have ever been when I teach math. I saw the sense of embarrassment students felt about being ignorant of this aspect of civil rights history, and I was intentional about explaining how it is a systemic issue. They didn't know because no one had ever taught them, and they shouldn't feel ashamed of not knowing. They wanted to know what else they weren't learning in social studies.
In this lesson, I shared some aspects of the civil rights movement that students would never learn in a high school classroom. The story of Wyatt Tee Walker is captivating, and students were motivated to learn about other pivotal figures in black history. This was my goal for the lesson. I wanted students to see an opportunity to address an injustice in their community as well as understand why the issue is significant.. Beyond that, it was important that they understood that they have the tools to have an impact on this injustice. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 1960's was not as simple as it is portrayed in most social studies classrooms, and students are able to see how others have challenged oppressive systems. They were making connections between the advocacy work we did in the fall and the civil rights movement.
Lesson Reflection
Students were motivated in part by antagonism; they felt like the school had let them down by not exposing them to a non-whitewashed version of history. They identified this injustice because they have lived it themselves, but they have lacked the language to articulate it. My students have internalized the messages that it is somehow inappropriate to openly celebrate blackness. They could see how the school reinforced those messages, and were motivated to do something about it. This lesson helped them to understand the extent of the issue, motivated them to learn more about their own cultural history, and gave them the time and space to explore how they could address it. There was an unfocused effort initially, so I pushed students to work collectively to create a plan for how to celebrate Black History Month as well as their cultural heritage.
They saw the injustice in the world and they wanted to advocate on behalf of others in the school. They were shown first hand how the education system downplays and misrepresents Black history. It was an injury to their cultural pride to not celebrate Black history in a school steeped in Black culture. Learning about Wyatt Tee Walker served as the impetus for the push for celebrating school administrators to celebrate Black history. This lesson was a motivator, and it did so effectively.
This is the slide deck I used to discuss the impact Wyatt Tee Walker had on the Civil Rights Movement. My annotations are written in red.
Student Engagement
Educating Themselves
I was clear with my students that I am not the best source for knowledge about Black history. I shared some resources I found where students could learn more. Fortunately, there are dozens of collections out there to provide information about Black history because this issue is getting more and more recognition. Specifically, I pointed students to the New York Times’ 1619 Project because it illustrates the African American history through artistic means.
As students read through these resources, they kept calling me over to show me things they found. They were informing themselves about Black history through art and literature, and several students were moved by the pieces they saw. A couple students made works of their own to speak to the experiences they have had, but they requested that I do not share them here.
Including Others
As students discussed and researched the issue, they began to do research of their own. This student was passionate about the lack of representation in history courses and took notes as classmates discussed those they identify as significant black figures.
This work was not meant to end in my classroom. I had planned to prompt my students to explore how they could extend the work they do to others, but the conversations began without me prompting them. They were excited to talk about what they were learning with others. Students began to work on this goal outside of my classroom, planning a spirit week to close out Black History Month in which they could proudly display their heritage. They recognized that they don't need a teacher to plan these events for them - they can use their collective voice to take action and address their concerns.
Students were aggravated by the fact that no adults in the school planned Black History Month celebrations. They rightfully saw this as an injustice and amplified their voice so that they could advocate for themselves and others. For students outside my classroom, it was surprising that ethnic hair was being openly celebrated at the school. My students were proud that they were a part of making it happen.
I was asked to print out this poster so that students could spread the word about their plan for spirit week. They wanted to make sure that others were included in the celebration.
Students pursued multiple outlets for celebrating Black culture. While some sought to recognize activists and culture in the Black community, others wanted to address contemporary issues in the Black community. Within the spirit week that was planned, a group of students planned a vigil to highlight those lost to police violence.
This is a highly political subject to touch on in a public school. When students first brought up the idea, it was shot down by the principal. She didn't want to offend people by making a display of "shaming" police. I was mortified when I heard her justify cancelling the event students planned, but they stood up for themselves. They argued their side of the situation effectively. They were able to use their collective voice to discuss how not being allowed to discuss police brutality offended them and argued for mutually agreeable compromise.
Police brutality, especially when it comes to black men, is a particularly germane issue to the discussion of the black experience in Covington. My students connected the issue of police brutality with the lack of black representation in multiple facets of the community and planned events to call attention to multiple aspects of their culture.
Follow Through
School-wide Celebration
Students went beyond my expectations for this project. I did not want to restrict students or define the appropriate ways for them to take pride in their cultural identities. I provided space and guidance for students to explore ways to do this in my classroom. As students worked on observing Black History Month and celebrating their culture, they became increasingly aware that this work is something that the school should be planning, not just a group of students who had the time.
Students selected a group of representatives to confront administrators about the lack of acknowledgement of black culture during Black History Month. Over a dozen passionate students led the charge and brought the issue to the principals. This resulted in the representatives spending the entire school day working with district and school leaders developing a plan for recognizing Black History Month on a broader scale. Students went into the meeting with demands that they gathered from their classmates and advocated on their behalf.
This email from my principal recaps the meeting student representatives had with school leaders.
Because of my students’ advocacy, the district got directly involved in the process. Students now had access to more resources, and, with the endorsement of the school, could take on bigger projects. Rather than hang posters around the school to promote cultural pride, students were able to schedule presentations from local African American activists and leaders. The entire school participated in these events, and my students impact extended beyond the classroom.
The posters made with markers and chart paper were upgraded to higher quality posters that hang near the cafeteria. Important figures and Black History that aren’t normally covered in a history class were brought to the forefront. People much more knowledgeable than me got involved and helped students create a wide-ranging array of Black historical figures and activists. They worked with social studies educators and relatives to dive into significant figures in Black culture and celebrated them along a main hallway of the school. Students' cultural pride was brought to the forefront because of their advocacy. They were able to see themselves reflected in the school by placing these displays throughout the school. While some students were hearing about these figures for the first time, they were excited to learn about them. Their reactions reflected the impact advocacy can have.
These are some of the photos hung around the main hallway of the school. They depict significant figures in Black history. Several of these figures were discussed in students' social studies classes so they knew more about the work these activists did.
Conversations about race tend to become conversations about racism. Black culture is not past tense. Students wanted to display Black artists’ contributions to popular culture. The display case in the main hallway of the school was filled with music, books, and art made by modern Black artists. The students who took lead on this portion of the celebration were passionate about it because they saw the lack of recognition of black artists as an injustice. The see how the music industry has coopted and appropriated Black culture and are making a statement against it.
This display is opposite of the main entrance of the school. Poems, vinyl records, and artwork by famous Black artists are showcased with some information about the artist as well. The artists included range from Tyler, the Creator to Marvin Gaye and from Maya Angelou to Toni Morrison.
My students’ advocacy led to the creation of a permanent committee of students that meet regularly with district and school leaders to discuss ways to improve the school community. The lessons students learned in the fall about self-advocacy were demonstrated through this process. The students that created this organization recognized the importance of making space for others to have a voice. I found this piece to be particularly moving because it highlights the inclusive approach my students have taken to taking pride in their cultural heritage. They are making sure that their voices have value and are reflected in the school culture.
The students who put this wall together were excited for me to see the results. They kept asking me to go to the cafeteria to read some of the post-it notes their classmates were putting up. They were proud to see that space was being made to celebrate the dreams that students have, whatever form they may come in.
This wall was put up by the Unity and Community committee that my students founded at the school. The post-it notes on the wall are students' dreams that they shared.
Conclusion
Students learned how to advocate for themselves and others. They brought their culture to the forefront and celebrated their identities in an impactful way. They were animated by a perceived injustice and worked together to change the system. My students used this opportunity to create a new student organization where they collaborate on promoting a sense of unity across the campus. Going forward, student voice will play a larger role in administrative decision making. Their success here has shown them that their words and actions have value and that they don’t need anybody’s permission to be proud of where they come from. They see the value in their voices and actions as they advocate for themselves and others. They are better informed about injustices in the world and are utilizing their collective assets to increase cultural pride.