Dersha Maryland

History for All?

Raising the questions for minority history in classrooms.

                                                                                                                                                                           

Dear POTUS,

I am currently a sophomore in the Baltimore county Public School District and I am 15 years of age. Living in America has been a HOOT! However there are still issues I believe need to be addressed in order for them to be fixed. The Government monitors the school system and what teachers can teach, although it seems our history teachers aren’t teaching us everything we need to know.

Ever since I was a young girl in elementary school, I had a thirst for knowledge. I have been, looking forward to continue my education of minority history and hopefully will continue to, for the rest of my life. But what I cannot understand is why if I’m American, why I haven’t learned about anybody that looks like me aside from those on the front lines of history. In fact in certain parts of the country the textbooks are getting it wrong! For example in the Huffington Post an article posted written by Marian Wright Edelman about a world Geography textbook stated the following “the Atlantic Slave trade between the 1500s and the 1800s brought millions of Workers from Africa to the southern United states to work on agricultural plantations” The issue of the above quote is the fact that the textbook company are saying, that the African Slaves had a choice on coming to America. Its also claiming they were getting paid for their laborious work. In America white washing history is still common in today’s history books then before. World renowned author James W. Loewen wrote a book called Lies my teacher told me main topics include; hero-ification of historical figures, Christopher Columbus ‘ true cultural and historical; impact ,racism in textbooks and so much more.

According to the article by Leonard Pitts: Effort to whitewash American history is a cowardly attack on the truth posted by the Portland press herald. America is two countries “The first country was built on a radical new promise of human equality and a guarantee of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. This concept plays on the foundation of America and what it was actually designed to do. For a clean slate of those under the Britain's rule . To be able to practice any religion you want to. To have those rights that were deemed natural born rights

And the next quotation brings to light one of America's flaws that “The second country was built on the uncompensated labor of human beings owned from birth till death by other human beings. America was built on the bones of the African slaves as well as the Native American, which means that these two races had to endure torture different than any other. Native Americans faced genocide to the trail of tears, which was a removal act stamped by Andrew Jackson whom was the 7th POTUS as well as the man praised on the 20 dollar bill.

One way to become a better country is to simply understand all our people, and to accept all of our diversities, like culture and histories. With history we don’t know where we come from, so to skew the American mind from the rich history that binds the American People together only separates us from one another. SO Mr. President you are probably wondering my suggestion to solve this problem well in my humble opinion its time we pay closer attention to what we teach our children. Make sure they learn and know of everything this country has done good and bad. Since the government regulates the school system we should make the books a little heavier by simply added minority histories to the mix.

They call America a melting pot. SO shouldn’t Our History books resemble one                                                                                                                                                                           

Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts

Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts

A comprehensive high school, with an arts magnet program, serving 1500 students in Dundalk, Baltimore County, MD.

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