UREAG Global Village: The Power of Teaching Truth

Group Submission Type: Special Session

Description of Session

The UREAG Global Village meeting will feature a speaker or panel of speakers who will address the recent banning of African American Studies in the state of Florida and highlight the efforts underway to combat this ongoing historical problem. We will discuss the power of teaching truth not only for Black children but for society as a whole. We will ask why the myth of Black inferiority still lingers throughout both the conscious and subconscious minds of many citizens across the globe. One of the most recent battle grounds is in the state of Florida where Governor DeSantis has banned the teaching of African American history and culture in all K-20 schools. Why now? This tactic is not at all new and part of a historical pattern used since Europeans began colonizing the world and convincing the masses that whiteness is supreme over all other socially constructed racial groups, those who seek to maintain the fallacy of white supremacy. They have focused on controlling historical narratives for many generations by relegating African cultural practices and origins as demonic, backwards and inferior to what we now consider Western culture as the dominant attractor. This pattern has persisted so long to the extent that some African descendants still hold negative perceptions of themselves as African descendants. Organizations like the Daughters of the Confederacy took control of the education curricula taught in Southern schools to revision the history of not only the Southern states but whiteness in general. These efforts perpetuate the myth of Black/Brown inferiority and the designation of "minority" for those who actually represent the global majority. This has pushed all non-white history to the margins only to be offered as an elective course in higher ed or a social club in K-12, if anything at all. What power do we have to combat these insidious efforts and what protest strategies have been or could be effective to implement now? Join us as our guest speaker (TBD) will lead a discussion on this topic as we enjoy some refreshments and gather as a committee.

Sub Unit

• Committee: UREAG (Under-represented Racial, Ethnic, and Ability Groups)

Chairs

• Rhonesha L Blache, BLACHE Education, LLC

• Sonia Sawhney, Tata Institute of Social Sciences