I mentioned that I've done volunteer work transcribing, and therefore reading thousands of documents (I just hit my 10,000th transcription) most of which were operating paperwork for the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands - the government agency that was put in place to help organize the chaos in the South post Civil War.
My middle class white eyes that thought I was pretty good at history were opened wide...and even if I wanted to, which I dont I can't go back.
I have (so far) only dealt with docs from 1865 to 1874. So none of the Jim Crow issues, but the Bureau which was meant to be temporary had shut down by then.
Many of the Agents' reports and transcripts of court cases are page after page of white outrage and transparently unfair treatment both under the law and outside it. I read one chilling letter from a community leader to the Gov. Of Florida about setting up schools for the newly freed slaves. It stated particularly that the state wanted to form a Board of Education before the B.R F & AL could, and mandate curriculum, so they could keep control of what was taught. It was dated sometime in 1866.
I I'm already writing a novel here so won't go on and on.
Let's just say with regard to Critical Race Theory, I had absolutely no idea of this history from school. But in just my small niche study, it's very clear that the reason this isn't being taught isn't because of the discomfort it might cause precious students, but because if you shine a light on this, many of the younger generation will see the blatant unfairness and want to change it.
And that's pretty much the only way to change people's minds it seems. Age them out.
Totally agree! The reason the Christofascist fears the teaching of actual American History to their kids is not that it will cause them discomfort, but that it will rouse their humanity! Horrors! There is nothing to fear from the truth. Children have an innate sense of fairness. But the white Christofascist power comes from fear. Which is why they lie all the time, (pet eaters? Really???) and try to enshrine lying to children in their education policies and book bans, create a false narrative, foment fear, and distrust any form of real learning, in science, in history, in literature, because messy reality disturbs their contrived alternative mind set. They call any broad exchange of ideas “woke,” as if that is a bad thing.
Resist fear! If you can’t open your mind, how do you know you still have one?
I don’t accept that the unwholesome aspects of history would upset children. They learn about the holocaust and that was horrific. The US is tainted by its history of race relations. It will stay that way until it is confronted properly.
No wonder so many white politicians and their fawning followers don't want the truth to be known. So despicable. It's also part of the anti-abortion agenda. Not enough white babies being born. No white majority. A little late for that.
And we aren't told in school that maternal death rates around pregnancy are three times higher for Black Americans than Whites or Hispanics, and that American maternal deaths are at a rate much higher than all other developed countries.
Source: Rhode Island PBS series on "The Risk of Giving Birth", June 2024
This is excellent.
I mentioned that I've done volunteer work transcribing, and therefore reading thousands of documents (I just hit my 10,000th transcription) most of which were operating paperwork for the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands - the government agency that was put in place to help organize the chaos in the South post Civil War.
My middle class white eyes that thought I was pretty good at history were opened wide...and even if I wanted to, which I dont I can't go back.
I have (so far) only dealt with docs from 1865 to 1874. So none of the Jim Crow issues, but the Bureau which was meant to be temporary had shut down by then.
Many of the Agents' reports and transcripts of court cases are page after page of white outrage and transparently unfair treatment both under the law and outside it. I read one chilling letter from a community leader to the Gov. Of Florida about setting up schools for the newly freed slaves. It stated particularly that the state wanted to form a Board of Education before the B.R F & AL could, and mandate curriculum, so they could keep control of what was taught. It was dated sometime in 1866.
I I'm already writing a novel here so won't go on and on.
Let's just say with regard to Critical Race Theory, I had absolutely no idea of this history from school. But in just my small niche study, it's very clear that the reason this isn't being taught isn't because of the discomfort it might cause precious students, but because if you shine a light on this, many of the younger generation will see the blatant unfairness and want to change it.
And that's pretty much the only way to change people's minds it seems. Age them out.
Totally agree! The reason the Christofascist fears the teaching of actual American History to their kids is not that it will cause them discomfort, but that it will rouse their humanity! Horrors! There is nothing to fear from the truth. Children have an innate sense of fairness. But the white Christofascist power comes from fear. Which is why they lie all the time, (pet eaters? Really???) and try to enshrine lying to children in their education policies and book bans, create a false narrative, foment fear, and distrust any form of real learning, in science, in history, in literature, because messy reality disturbs their contrived alternative mind set. They call any broad exchange of ideas “woke,” as if that is a bad thing.
Resist fear! If you can’t open your mind, how do you know you still have one?
P.S. my transcription work has been for the Smithsonian which has the National Archive records.
I’m a teacher. I’m in my 40th year. My students encounter all those things.
https://christophermeestoerato.substack.com/p/5-biggest-myths-about-america?utm_source=substack&utm_content=feed%3Arecommended%3Acopy_link
I don’t accept that the unwholesome aspects of history would upset children. They learn about the holocaust and that was horrific. The US is tainted by its history of race relations. It will stay that way until it is confronted properly.
Thank you for sharing this with your common (un-upgraded) readers. I will share it widely.
I'm sharing all my previously printed material for free. For the next few months there will generally be 3 stories a week in that category.
No wonder so many white politicians and their fawning followers don't want the truth to be known. So despicable. It's also part of the anti-abortion agenda. Not enough white babies being born. No white majority. A little late for that.
And we aren't told in school that maternal death rates around pregnancy are three times higher for Black Americans than Whites or Hispanics, and that American maternal deaths are at a rate much higher than all other developed countries.
Source: Rhode Island PBS series on "The Risk of Giving Birth", June 2024
Thank you Mr. Spivey!
Truth and education are among the elixirs we need after this dangerous drought of decency we have too long been readjusted to.