Signatures
This is the list of people who have signed the pledge or petition to date.
Patrice Sullivan | Defiance, OH
Erika Kluhsman | Milwaukee, WI
Jenny Prince | New York, NY
Mindi McCluskey | Spring Branch, TX
Victoria Lopez | Santa Clarita, CA
Lies are told always and it is our job to be truth tellers.
Madeleine Lutian | Stratford, CT
Elisa Silverglade Rader | Croton On Hudson, NY
In order for this country to heal the wounds of its people, we must embark on a journey of truth and accountability towards achieving a cross cultural solidarity with our fellow humans. In order to break down dehumanizing systems of supremacy we must embrace people for who they are and believe them when they tell us who they are and what they’ve been through. The resistance to the truth is based on fear. Often fear of being held accountable. The insistence to continue to teach old fictions long after they have been established as fictions, is founded in ignorance. We must stop depriving our children who are the future of this country, of the truth of exactly who built this country, how we came to enjoy such luxuries and the overwhelming brilliance and resilience of people who have been marginalized along the way. We must teach our children that we are all connected. We must teach truth.
Sammy Freeman | Iowa City, IA
It is crucial for students of all ages to properly understand the racist roots of our country and how it shaped the way it is today. Ignorance is very harmful especially when we are taught from such a young age that this country is completely equal. Racism is ingrained in the structure of our country and without proper education it will continue to be that way. Kids are never too young to learn about these things, but white fragility convinced those that this will be harmful for children, when people of color have to learn way too early that they have to work harder to be successful, stay safe, etc. It is about time that we give children a solid anti-racism foundation and education
Steven Collins | Fanwood, NJ
Tara McDowell | Portland, OR
Debbie Holzberg | Green Mountain, NC
Kalicia Pivirotto | Novato, CA
We must teach the truth to put an end to our nation's legacy of genocide, enslavement, and exploitation.
Mackenzie Lerario | Nouvieau York, NY
Allison Sirovy | Monticello, MN
James Phoenix | Memphis, TN
Corey Brothers | New York, NY
Jonah Kadens | Wooster, OH
Emmie Young , ABCA
Katie Crosby | Fort Mill, SC
Becky Brewer | Palo Alto, CA
This is not a choice. The truth must be taught.
Ali Stewart-Ito | Seattle, WA
Susane Browning | Wilton, CT
Katrina Herzog | Seattle, WA
Christopher Rapisarda | Chicago, IL
Michael DeBartolo | Brooklyn, NY
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.