Petition to School Boards to Teach Reconstruction

As a former Distinguished Visiting Prof. at Brown, a documentary filmmaker (Eyes on the Prize, etc.) and a SNCC veteran who organized in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, I know how much the events of Reconstruction impacted our nation's history. SNCC's Julian Bond and others have often called the modern Civil Rights Movement "The Second Reconstruction". I am amazed that students today continue to learn so little about this critical period in our history, or, worse, continue to be fed the same ahistorical lies about this period that I learned so many years ago in my AP history class. The story of Reconstruction is an empowering history, which can teach us so much about not just what *could have been,* but what *could still be* in this country. To teach about enslavement and omit Reconstruction denies our students (and future citizens) the kind of history they can use to build a more just nation.

In Texas the Freedmens Bureau supported the constitutional rights which the Confederacy fought to deny Americans. We learn the Lost Cause distortions, but not the truth. Texans should learn the truth.

As a college instructor of civic engagement and ethical leadership, it is imperative that we are giving our students a well-rounded view of our history, which includes teaching them about eras that provide the context for why different groups of people view the country a certain way. Teaching a well-rounded history instills trust in the teaching infrastructure of our country and ensures that those whose history was left out for generations feel included moving forward.

It is very important to teach about the Reconstruction Era, if we are going to have any reconciliation towards racial justice in this country.

The average citizen appears to believe that racial problems stem largely from the Civil Rights Era of the mid-20th Century. In fact the roots of racism in this country begin in 1619 with the initial arrival of Black Africans who had been captured in Africa and brought to the United States to be sold into slavery for the perpetuity of their lives as well as the lives of all their off-spring. Slaves in the Confederacy were granted freedom in 1862 by the Emancipation Proclamation. Freedom was later granted to all by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the first of three Reconstruction Amendments. Reconstruction Era history gives students a complex narrative about not only the rebuilding of the UNITED STATES but also about the way in which white citizens continued to establish their privilege and supremacy over those with black and brown skin. In addition to being a history of progress, it is also a history of white terror, lynchings, the KKK and unfair imprisonment, inequitable access to jobs and promotions, inability to overcome discriminatory access to public facilities (Black Codes) and political and social institutions such as schools and health care. This is a vital narrative needed to understand the historical memory of black and brown people. In addition to presenting a balanced narrative, it is also necessary to (re)establish the freedom and justice promised by the Constitution.

As a high school history teacher and a life long learner of history is it VERY important for our students to understand the Reconstruction Era. Although for many years this period in US history was painted as a "failure", the rich history of formerly enslaved African Americans is important for young people to understand and to see for themselves in the making of this nation. When I teach Reconstruction, history comes alive for my students. They see their ancestors as more than just enslaved people, but as people who took agency over their lives to create a better future for their descendants. The strength of the historic figures of this period whether well known to history or known to just families, gives students the representation they need to feel engaged in history. Additionally students start to make connections from the past to the present knowing that we as African Americans still have a way to go to achieve equality and parity in this nation. After teaching the Reconstruction period my students see why the push back of Jim Crow became the national norm and they vow to find ways to claim their seat at the table to crush that ugly spirit. Teaching Reconstruction is fulfilling for me as an educator and very necessary for my students to understand as they move to become the future leaders our country needs to survive.

It’s the truth and students deserve to know !

Because the story of our country is incomplete without it. This work continues and students need to learn from our history in order to know how continue to advocate for racial justice.

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." James Baldwin

By learning more about the failures of Reconstruction & the "Lost Cause" enables students to make connections to the systemic nature of racism and discrimination still prevalent in our society today. Reconstruction is among the more important units within U.S. History & should therefore be paid the proper attention.

An educational gift to our children and grandchildren.

Wanted to know what happened after the War Berween the States as well.

If we don't teach our national history accurately, we are bound to repeat our mistakes.

Reconstruction features the United States' true efforts at Democratic possibility. It is a key moment where those who were once in chains push the country to become what it claimed to be

Important to examine America's biggest missed opportunities at equality