Signatures
This is the list of people who have signed the pledge or petition to date.
John Dupies | Milwaukee, WI
Ruth Luevanos | Simi Valley, CA
My children and my students deserve to know their history.
Melissa Gravert | Moline, IL
my students, all students, deserve to learn the truth about our past and present so they can impact the future.
Christine Turner | Milwaukee, WI
Age appropriate authentic history is enriching, evocative, and will help prevent history from repeating itself.
Daniele Xenos | Scottdale, GA
We must teach the truth - the whole truth - to our students if we are ever to affect change!
Julie Hapeman | Milwaukee, WI
Tonesha Harris , WI
The minority is now the majority. Not teaching true history while being inclusive of all cultures and revealing America’s travesties is not only white washing but moreover will have a debilitating effect on current day progressive movements.
Lillian Luu | San Jose, CA
Roxanne Ciatti | Milwaukee, WI
I believe in the truth.
Loni Kirk | San Luis Obispo, CA
My students deserve to be empowered by the truth. They deserve to analyze history and current struggles so that they can participate in society with a clear and just vision for the future.
Nishta Mehra | Phoenix, AZ
Spring Albassam
This is truth to all teachers.
Nicholas Gerard-Larson | Milwaukee, WI
history is messy, conflicted, contested, overwhelming, and enlightening. We cannot learn from, nor properly remember or rectify, the past without understanding all its truths: the glories, the blemishes, the heartbreak, the solidarity, the triumphs, and the setbacks. To talk about American history honestly is to talk about race and power.
Kelly Di Giacinto | Milwaukee, WI
Young people need to be taught to identify the oppressive structures that are poisoning the heart of our nation. As they are the one’s that will tear them down.
Taiyo Ebato | New York, NY
come on, let's get free!
Jessica Rhode | Oakland, CA
it is important to teach the truth and create new structures that include and support all students.
Molly Tennessen | Milwaukee, WI
Without learning and teaching the truth we further traumatize individuals whose place in life has been impacted by oppressive conditions. We owe students the truth so that we can begin the healing process rather than continue to perpetuate harm.
Patricia Kotrady | Washington, DC
Caitlin Ceballos | Milwaukee, WI
The truth will set you free.
kayla schwartz | Milwaukee, WI
In order to see a future for everyone we must stop whitewashing history. We are not our past but we can change the future.
Levi Douglas | Milwaukee, WI
We as a people cannot progress without recognizing and understanding the mistakes of our past.
Gina Jorgensen | Milwaukee, WI
Have we not done enough damage? It is time the truth is taught.
Laurie Stilin | Milwaukee, WI
The future of our country depends on teaching all aspects of it's history, even those of which we are ashamed (or should be). If our children, including mine, don't learn the truth about our history they are doomed to repeat it as they grow to be the next generation of leaders and citizens. Whitewashing history is dangerous. If people do not have all the facts they cannot make intelligent, informed choices about their actions. Children will be raised to believe that racism is the status quo and is acceptable. The fight for equality will take several steps back. This is unacceptable.
Kimberly Isberner | Milwaukee, WI
Josh Anderson | Milwaukee, WI
Selected Pledges
Click on pledge below to read many more.
As an educator who is serious about teaching the truth I will not be bullied into silence. I will do my part in the fight for equity and equality by making sure my students are most equipped to fight this ugliness in the real world.
Yes, the truth of American history needs to be taught, but also its impact on the rest of the world, such as its role in WWII. I just finished teaching a college-level course on the Holocaust, and could not believe how little the students knew about the rest of the world’s participation in the war! They seemed to believe that WWII was ended by the US alone!
“When you begin to do things that raise the achievement of the poorest and disenfranchised students, you may not always get applause. You need to be ready for that.” Dr. Asa Hilliard
“Resistance is a powerful motivator precisely because it enables us to fulfill our longing to achieve our goals while letting us boldly recognize and name the obstacles to those achievements.”
Dr. Derrick Bell
Our young people deserve the truth and it is our kuleana (responsibility) to give space and opportunity for the truth and the difficult conversations.
If we don’t teach it all, we teach nothing…
Social justice is a major theme of my Humanities 7 course, and my school uses Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s HILL framework (development of identity, skills, knowledge, Criticality) to frame our entire curriculum. Student agency through research work and essay writing, and action-oriented civic engagement work, define what we “cover” in my course.