When lions write history

What does the research say?

This article by LaGarrett J. King examines how African-American educators from 1890-1940 countered racist depictions of Black people in social studies textbooks by creating their own materials. King’s analysis focuses on four key figures—Edward Augustus Johnson, Lelia Amos Pendleton, Carter G. Woodson, and Merl Eppse—and their contributions to a counter-narrative emphasizing Black agency and achievements. These textbooks presented alternative conceptions of citizenship, highlighting Black participation in nation-building and challenging traditional Eurocentric historical perspectives. The research utilizes the “alternative Black curriculum” framework to understand the pedagogical and curricular strategies employed. King ultimately argues for a more inclusive approach to social studies scholarship, acknowledging the contributions of these overlooked educators.

Why is it important?

It is important for educators to be informed about the evolution of early (1890-1940) social studies education in which African-American educators took it upon themselves to create an alternative Black curriculum in order to counteract stereotyping and/or outright racist descriptions and depictions of Black people in textbooks. This reform movement led by African-American educators to create an alternative Black curriculum was the catalyst to what would later become the multicultural education movement (1950-1970) which still informs most teacher education programs today. It is especially important for educators to know about this legacy because the fight for a more authentic representation of the Black experience in the American curriculum is just one example of the many forms of Black agency and resistance by which Black people fought to increase equity and representation. While outright racist descriptions and depictions are no longer printed, the lack of representation of the Black experience is still evident through the obligatory coverage of the “I have a Dream” speech on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the same selection of stories during Black history month in February, the coldest and shortest of the months.

What are the implications for education?

It remains important to know about the ongoing struggle for a more authentic, complete, and complex representation of the Black experience in social studies texts today because the curriculum – what we teach – represents our collective story. If students from marginalized populations do not see characters in history, science, art, etc. that look like them, the curriculum provides no mirrors in which learners see themselves reflected (Bishop, 1990). To be seen, to be heard, and to be represented affects educational achievement. The implication for educators is to become aware of “the sin of omission” in today’s textbooks and to take it upon themselves to seek out alternative learning resources that teach a more inclusive history, a history that acknowledges the significant contributions that Black Americans have made to nation building throughout American history.

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