Teaching History of State Restrictions on Civil Liberties

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 8:00 a.m. Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Open Educational Resources for Teaching History of Higher Education (Table 10)

Abstract

Purpose
From 1956 to 1965, the Florida legislature authorized investigations of NAACP leaders, educators and students suspected of being gay, and faculty accused of teaching controversial texts. Led by Senator Charley Johns, the Florida Legislative Investigative Committee perpetuated Lavender Scare ideologies, alleging that LGBTQ+ individuals presented a threat to democracy and American life (Adkins, 2016). The so-called “Johns Committee” attempted to purge LGBTQ+ educators and students from Florida public universities and K-12 schools. This OER is a public-facing historical case study of undemocratic interference at the University of Florida and University of South Florida.

Perspectives
The term “case study” has a long, yet poorly defined, tradition in teaching history (Doughtery, 2016). In a general sense, historical case studies introduce antecedents, question accepted beliefs, and compare events. In a specific sense, they curate primary and secondary sources in an intentional manner to “use the past to challenge students about their present-day reality” (Dougherty, 2016, p. 121). The Johns Committee OER represents the latter. Each primary and secondary source has been chosen to introduce a specific aspect of the case, foreground the Johns Committee’s impact on higher education, and prepare students to draw connections from past to present.

Methods and Source Material
Since the Johns Committee records were unsealed in 1992, substantial historical research has been completed. This OER sources a book chapter from the perspective of a student affairs administrator at the University of South Florida (Poucher, 2014) and a documentary centering voices of students interrogated at the University of Florida (Wang & Fernández, 2012). The OER also sources primary documents, including Johns Committee reports, newspapers, correspondence, and oral history.

Results and Significance
This OER website includes lesson plans for in-person and online courses. Each plan contains intentionally sequenced learning activities to gradually move the student from past to present. First, students examine the case from the perspective of USF administrators responding to the Johns Committee’s presence. Second, they participate in a guided examination of primary sources curated for the case. These sources widen the aperture on the case, introducing students to the Committee’s investigations of NAACP and K-12 leaders. They also document resistance to oppression (e.g., UF students burning Charlie Johns in effigy). Next, they watch The Committee documentary, which includes firsthand accounts of humiliating interrogations of college undergraduates. The film connects past to present as contemporary narrators reflect on the impact of these events. Finally, students participate in a group-based research activity in which they identify a theme from the historical case study and explore its relevance for higher education today.

In the wake of recent legislation, teaching history—especially LGBTQ+ history—is a fraught endeavor. This OER prompts students to reflect, draw connections, and form their own conclusions about issues such as personal liberty, oppression, and academic freedom. The assignments remain within existing legislative restrictions while also pushing students to consider building a more inclusive future.

Author

• Ashley Floyd Kuntz, Florida International University