Social Education 81(1), pp 14– 18
©2017 National Council for the Social Studies Teaching and Learning African American History
The Status of Black History
in U.S. Schools and Society
LaGarrett J. King
The year 2015 marked a century since Carter G. Woodson and his colleagues cre- tion highlighting the purpose and limita-
ated the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (originally ASNLH, tions of a Black history curriculum. In
now ASALH), the first Black history organization that successfully “promoted, the issue, Nathan Hare and Louis Harlan
researched, preserved, interpreted, and disseminated information about Black life, exemplified the various arguments about
history, and culture to the global community.”1 Woodson, with help from ASALH, the significance of Black history. Hare,
had a profound impact on efforts to institutionalize Black history in schools. Between for example, explained that a Black his-
1915 and 1950, Woodson and his colleagues established a foundation for K-12 Black tory curriculum and instruction should
history education. They did so by authoring several K-12 Black history textbooks, focus on social justice, militancy, and self-
designing Black history home study courses for school-aged children, establishing a improvement, while Harlan believed
K-12 Black history teacher journal, and promoting Negro History Week (now Black that Black history instruction should be
History Month) in schools.2 Woodson envisioned these programs as temporary, and more subtle, apolitical, and integrated
only the first steps at integrating K-12 Black history within the mainstream social within traditional U.S. history classes.6
studies curriculum. In school districts across the U.S.,
Black students, teachers, and parents
The mainstream social studies cur- began to demand that Black history
riculum, however, either largely ignored courses become either part of the social
Black history or misrepresented the studies curriculum or exist as stand-
subject. Early renditions of history text- alone courses. Some schools/school dis-
books typically classified Black people tricts—especially those with large Black
as docile, uncivilized, and lazy. For populations—established Black history
example, a 1934 history textbook analy- courses, and it was this type of experi-
sis by Lawrence Reddick observed that ence which became the foundation of
Black people were portrayed as being the multicultural education movement.7
content as slaves; they liked to “sing,
dance, crack jokes, and laugh; admired A Contemporary Look at Black
bright colors, never in a hurry, and [were] History
always ready to let things go until the Today, the legitimacy of K-12 Black his-
morrow.” 3 These examples illustrated tory as an academic subject for school-
a social studies curriculum mirroring a children is largely unquestioned. Take
U.S. culture that elevated those consid- for instance the report, Research into
ered to be White while simultaneously the State of African American History
demeaning all of those considered to be with the 1961 California law, seven states and Culture in K-12 Public Schools,
Black. It was not until the middle of the “passed laws requiring or recommending conducted by the National Museum
twentieth century that mainstream social that the contributions and achievements of African American History and
studies textbooks began to eliminate text of minority groups be included in school Culture (NMAAHC). With the help
that was explicitly racist.4 curricula.” 5 The study also chronicled of an evaluator, Oberg Research, this
Inspired by the 1960s civil rights the development of several school dis- 2015 study sought to understand how
movement, systemic efforts to main- tricts’ Black studies programs, complete social studies teachers conceptualized
stream K-12 Black history began to build with their own textbooks and resources. and implemented a K-12 Black history
momentum. A 1969 survey conducted by Additionally, Social Education, with its curriculum. The methodology included
Education USA indicated that, starting April 1969 issue, published a special edi- a nationwide survey of 525 elementary,
S o c i a l E d u c at i o n
14
, middle, and high school teachers, 72 NMAAHC’s study also notes that Smithsonian
in-depth personal interviews,8 and 5
focus groups,9 and a review of social
teachers may not teach Black history
as much as they should because they
American Art
studies standards from all 50 states lack content knowledge, confidence, Museum
and the District of Columbia. Key time, and resources, and are con-
findings indicate that teachers con- cerned with students’ maturity levels
sidered Black history as influential in for approaching difficult knowledge.
understanding the complexity of U.S. The general consensus, however, is
history, with many teachers stating that that Black history should be included
they infuse elements of Black history in the curriculum, but (as the previ-
in every historical era, sometimes ously mentioned debate between
going beyond state and local stan- Hare and Harlan showed), there is
dards. Teachers noted that topics such concern about how and what content
as forced African migration, Brown v. should be delivered.
Board of Education, the impact of the There is no doubt that Black history
Civil Rights Acts of 1960s, and the has become engrained in the nation’s
Obama election were the most taught lexicon, probably making it one of the
subjects by teachers. Teachers also most popular subsets of U.S. history
enacted pedagogies such as inviting taught in K-12 education.12 Several
guest speakers from academia and the factors contribute to Black history’s
community, primary sources, movie popularity. First, Black History
clips, virtual fieldtrips, and web quest Month in schools is now celebrated What can we find
activities. Yet, despite teachers’ enthu- in many different countries. Teachers in this picture?
siasm about teaching Black history, the sometimes see Black History Month
study surmised that generally only 1 to as a liberating time to offer different a. A family portrait
2 lessons or 8–9 percent of total class pedagogical approaches and disrupt b. A reference to Hamlet
time is devoted to Black history in U.S. an inequitable and limited curricu-
history classrooms. lum.13 Second, Black history museums c. A new nation’s hopes
The study represents a conundrum have become increasingly salient in for independence
for Black history in the classroom. For providing educational opportunities
d. All of the above
one, K-12 Black history can be seen for Black history learning. The newly
as successful to the extent that stu- created National Museum of African
dents are now aware of famous Black American History and Culture is an
leaders: Wineburg and Monte-Sano’s indication of the national impor- Explore American art’s
Famous American study saw 2,000 tance of examining Black history.
connections to your curricula
high school students name Martin Even before NMAAHC, many state
Luther King Jr, Rose Parks, and and local Black history museums and make history present.
Harriet Tubman as the most famous contributed to K-12 Black history
historical figures in the United States enrichment for students and teach-
other than presidents and their wives.10 ers through activities such as Black
Summer Institutes:
Yet the Southern Poverty Law Center’s history summer camps, lecture series, Teaching the Humanities
report, Teaching the Movement 2014: historical reenactments, and storytell- through Art
The State of Civil Rights Education ing. A few other museums such as the
in the United States, noted that the Reginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore,
majority of states received grades Maryland, and DuSable Museum July 10 – 14, 2017
of Ds and Fs for their approach to in Chicago, Illinois, have even col- July 24 – 28, 2017
teaching the civil rights movement, laborated with their respective state
with five states neglecting the sub- departments of education to create AmericanArt.si.edu
ject all together.11 Additionally, other elementary and secondary K-12 Black /education/dev/institutes
research has indicated that teachers history curriculum. Black history pro-
ignore Black history and that what is fessional development opportunities
taught is sometimes lethargic, too cel- for teachers are also common at Black Charles Willson Peale, Mrs. James Smith and Grandson (detail), 1776.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson
ebratory, and lacks complexity. The history museums as well as throughout Levering Smith Jr. and museum purchase.
J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 17
15
©2017 National Council for the Social Studies Teaching and Learning African American History
The Status of Black History
in U.S. Schools and Society
LaGarrett J. King
The year 2015 marked a century since Carter G. Woodson and his colleagues cre- tion highlighting the purpose and limita-
ated the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (originally ASNLH, tions of a Black history curriculum. In
now ASALH), the first Black history organization that successfully “promoted, the issue, Nathan Hare and Louis Harlan
researched, preserved, interpreted, and disseminated information about Black life, exemplified the various arguments about
history, and culture to the global community.”1 Woodson, with help from ASALH, the significance of Black history. Hare,
had a profound impact on efforts to institutionalize Black history in schools. Between for example, explained that a Black his-
1915 and 1950, Woodson and his colleagues established a foundation for K-12 Black tory curriculum and instruction should
history education. They did so by authoring several K-12 Black history textbooks, focus on social justice, militancy, and self-
designing Black history home study courses for school-aged children, establishing a improvement, while Harlan believed
K-12 Black history teacher journal, and promoting Negro History Week (now Black that Black history instruction should be
History Month) in schools.2 Woodson envisioned these programs as temporary, and more subtle, apolitical, and integrated
only the first steps at integrating K-12 Black history within the mainstream social within traditional U.S. history classes.6
studies curriculum. In school districts across the U.S.,
Black students, teachers, and parents
The mainstream social studies cur- began to demand that Black history
riculum, however, either largely ignored courses become either part of the social
Black history or misrepresented the studies curriculum or exist as stand-
subject. Early renditions of history text- alone courses. Some schools/school dis-
books typically classified Black people tricts—especially those with large Black
as docile, uncivilized, and lazy. For populations—established Black history
example, a 1934 history textbook analy- courses, and it was this type of experi-
sis by Lawrence Reddick observed that ence which became the foundation of
Black people were portrayed as being the multicultural education movement.7
content as slaves; they liked to “sing,
dance, crack jokes, and laugh; admired A Contemporary Look at Black
bright colors, never in a hurry, and [were] History
always ready to let things go until the Today, the legitimacy of K-12 Black his-
morrow.” 3 These examples illustrated tory as an academic subject for school-
a social studies curriculum mirroring a children is largely unquestioned. Take
U.S. culture that elevated those consid- for instance the report, Research into
ered to be White while simultaneously the State of African American History
demeaning all of those considered to be with the 1961 California law, seven states and Culture in K-12 Public Schools,
Black. It was not until the middle of the “passed laws requiring or recommending conducted by the National Museum
twentieth century that mainstream social that the contributions and achievements of African American History and
studies textbooks began to eliminate text of minority groups be included in school Culture (NMAAHC). With the help
that was explicitly racist.4 curricula.” 5 The study also chronicled of an evaluator, Oberg Research, this
Inspired by the 1960s civil rights the development of several school dis- 2015 study sought to understand how
movement, systemic efforts to main- tricts’ Black studies programs, complete social studies teachers conceptualized
stream K-12 Black history began to build with their own textbooks and resources. and implemented a K-12 Black history
momentum. A 1969 survey conducted by Additionally, Social Education, with its curriculum. The methodology included
Education USA indicated that, starting April 1969 issue, published a special edi- a nationwide survey of 525 elementary,
S o c i a l E d u c at i o n
14
, middle, and high school teachers, 72 NMAAHC’s study also notes that Smithsonian
in-depth personal interviews,8 and 5
focus groups,9 and a review of social
teachers may not teach Black history
as much as they should because they
American Art
studies standards from all 50 states lack content knowledge, confidence, Museum
and the District of Columbia. Key time, and resources, and are con-
findings indicate that teachers con- cerned with students’ maturity levels
sidered Black history as influential in for approaching difficult knowledge.
understanding the complexity of U.S. The general consensus, however, is
history, with many teachers stating that that Black history should be included
they infuse elements of Black history in the curriculum, but (as the previ-
in every historical era, sometimes ously mentioned debate between
going beyond state and local stan- Hare and Harlan showed), there is
dards. Teachers noted that topics such concern about how and what content
as forced African migration, Brown v. should be delivered.
Board of Education, the impact of the There is no doubt that Black history
Civil Rights Acts of 1960s, and the has become engrained in the nation’s
Obama election were the most taught lexicon, probably making it one of the
subjects by teachers. Teachers also most popular subsets of U.S. history
enacted pedagogies such as inviting taught in K-12 education.12 Several
guest speakers from academia and the factors contribute to Black history’s
community, primary sources, movie popularity. First, Black History
clips, virtual fieldtrips, and web quest Month in schools is now celebrated What can we find
activities. Yet, despite teachers’ enthu- in many different countries. Teachers in this picture?
siasm about teaching Black history, the sometimes see Black History Month
study surmised that generally only 1 to as a liberating time to offer different a. A family portrait
2 lessons or 8–9 percent of total class pedagogical approaches and disrupt b. A reference to Hamlet
time is devoted to Black history in U.S. an inequitable and limited curricu-
history classrooms. lum.13 Second, Black history museums c. A new nation’s hopes
The study represents a conundrum have become increasingly salient in for independence
for Black history in the classroom. For providing educational opportunities
d. All of the above
one, K-12 Black history can be seen for Black history learning. The newly
as successful to the extent that stu- created National Museum of African
dents are now aware of famous Black American History and Culture is an
leaders: Wineburg and Monte-Sano’s indication of the national impor- Explore American art’s
Famous American study saw 2,000 tance of examining Black history.
connections to your curricula
high school students name Martin Even before NMAAHC, many state
Luther King Jr, Rose Parks, and and local Black history museums and make history present.
Harriet Tubman as the most famous contributed to K-12 Black history
historical figures in the United States enrichment for students and teach-
other than presidents and their wives.10 ers through activities such as Black
Summer Institutes:
Yet the Southern Poverty Law Center’s history summer camps, lecture series, Teaching the Humanities
report, Teaching the Movement 2014: historical reenactments, and storytell- through Art
The State of Civil Rights Education ing. A few other museums such as the
in the United States, noted that the Reginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore,
majority of states received grades Maryland, and DuSable Museum July 10 – 14, 2017
of Ds and Fs for their approach to in Chicago, Illinois, have even col- July 24 – 28, 2017
teaching the civil rights movement, laborated with their respective state
with five states neglecting the sub- departments of education to create AmericanArt.si.edu
ject all together.11 Additionally, other elementary and secondary K-12 Black /education/dev/institutes
research has indicated that teachers history curriculum. Black history pro-
ignore Black history and that what is fessional development opportunities
taught is sometimes lethargic, too cel- for teachers are also common at Black Charles Willson Peale, Mrs. James Smith and Grandson (detail), 1776.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson
ebratory, and lacks complexity. The history museums as well as throughout Levering Smith Jr. and museum purchase.
J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 17
15
