Signatures
This is the list of people who have signed the pledge or petition to date.
Amanda Vickery | Denton, TX
We have a moral duty to teach our students about the history of this country, and that includes hard histories.
Vanessa Holloway | Minooka, IL
Whitney Zahar | Glen Allen, VA
Rebekah Fox | Lake Stevens, WA
"Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it." Winston Churchill was correct. Only by learning a more accurate history as told by diverse voices, can we hope to move forward together as a country.
Shail Azhar | Seattle, WA
my students need to be able to recognize that this country was built by the sweat and blood of black people and immigrants. They need to recognize that racism still alive in the United States and ways to combat this virus. It is critical that children learn about privilege and ways to use their privilege while recognize signs of racism.
Carla Anne Thomas | Los Angeles, CA
Everyones history matters
Melanie Knypstra | Redlands, CA
I believe that our children are capable of building a better future, but that means being honest about our history and present.
Jendayi Mbalia | Milwaukee, WI
Tyler Whooley | Westport, WA
Robert Gade | Berkeley, CA
The truth should never be suppressed or feared, as it is essential to maintaining freedoms as well as being a critical ingredient for having any kind of democratic process.
Patricia Weed-Wolnick | Fremont, CA
Tracey H.B.-Chipley | Markham, IL
The truth can bridge gaps and lead to true equality; because when we know better we can be better!
Erin Flynn | Driftwood, TX
It is the right thing to do. Our students deserve the truth of our past to right the direction of our future.
Art Sandoval | Albuquerque, NM
The truth needs to be known.
Pamela Norcross | Carrboro, NC
we need an anti-racist society, and the first step to that is a real, honest education so that we do not repeat the horrors of our past. Every child deserve that. Education should be based on truths and facts, and we cannot allow racist politicians to dictate the education that students deserve.
Sharyl Kato | Madison, WI
Children need to develop critical thinking skills, compassion for all in how we are the same and different and understand the essential need for understanding and loving ourselves and others from a humankind and social justice perspective will benefit not harm them.
Judith Mardhall | Albuquerque, NM
Truth brings justice
Deborah Wolter | Dexter, MI
Randi Dietz | Denver, CO
Supressing true history is dangerous to everyone
Jennifer Gallagher | Raleigh, NC
Virginia Bernard | New York, NY
Peter Rappaport | Redondo Beach, CA
I believe it's important that students learn the truth of our nation's history, instead of a sugar-coated version that denies the voices of marginalized groups and only uplifts one race/culture/ethnicity as a result. While it may be difficult for some people to accept, the only way forward is a brutally honest conversation that the future generations of leaders can use to change our world for the better.
Mary Bracken | Monte Rio, CA
Students deserve and want to know who they are, who we are, where we all came from, and they want to have a voice in where we are going as a society. Teaching history with its glories as well as imperfections ignites a love of learning in students and prepares them to meet the challenges they will face as adult citizens no matter where they may reside.
Sam DeMuro | Burlingame, CA
Teaching the TRUTH is necessary.
Michelle Munoz | Wilmington, NC
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.