As we witness the heinous acts of violence towards Black people, let us not forget education’s historical role in dehumanizing Black children. Combatting institutional and societal racism is a shared responsibility; it is not one that should be borne solely by Black scholars or by those working specifically on race-related topics. As citizen-scholars we urge you not only to use the past to inform the present, but, also, to enact change. This is more than a statement affirming what we already know; it is a fervent call to action.
Historians of education have a rich literature that documents activist scholarship in the service of dismantling the racial inequities firmly embedded within the American caste system (Isabel Wilkerson).Second class citizenship was imposed upon the freedmen after the Civil War, yet it was those same freed people who guaranteed education in southern state legislatures (James Anderson). Historians, sociologists, and psychologists used social science research to aid the work of civil rights attorneys in desegregating public schools (John Hope Franklin).
The global coronavirus health crisis has exposed what historians of education have been documenting for decades, namely, that the gross disparities/inequities in health, education, housing, labor, prisons, police brutality, and suppression of voting rights is a function of denying citizenship to generations of Black children and families. This denial of full citizenship has a direct impact upon the wellbeing of Black people, including and especially the young Black students in our schools.
Division F challenges historians of education to intervene in local governance, in the classroom, at faculty meetings, in the public forum, and in the development of curricula. Institutions of higher education brazenly highlight a rhetoric of diversity and inclusion in their mission statements yet fail abysmally to put them into practice as evidenced by the numbers, retention, and support of Black students and Black faculty.
To that end, the leadership of Division F has committed to a set of several key initiatives; compiling a list of important resources including syllabi that will be featured on our updated webpage; focused conference sessions addressing current issues; developing a social media presence; fostering partnerships across Divisions and SIGs; and crafting a robust and meaningful conference that speaks to urgent educational issues. We welcome your contributions and suggestions, in addition to your proposal submissions, as we work collectively to respond to the crises of our time.
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AERA Division F Officers
This list aims to advance our collective understanding of historical and contemporary manifestations of equity and inclusion issues in the United States.