Racial Oppression, Subalternities, and Pedagogy

Tags: education, inequality, knowledge, race/ethnicity, colorblind racism, pedagogy, 11 to 20 mins
Year: 2010
Length: 12:20
Access: YouTube

Summary: This clip from CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 features a debate between Tom Horne (Arizona superintendent of public instruction) and sociologist Michael Eric Dyson on the need for school curricula to incorporate alternative racial or ethnic histories of the United States. Amongst other things, Horne argues "we should be teaching our kids that this is the land of opportunity, and if they work hard, they can achieve their dreams, and not teach them they're oppressed"; noting that teaching oppression is a "downer" and that it teaches children a "race-obsessed philosophy." Dyson notes that much of American history is taught as finding relief from British oppression; he argues that the stories of Caesar Chavez, Dr Martin Luther King, and others must be told to understand American history and democracy, and that full knowledge of our past helps us find relief from oppression. The video may be used as a launching point for discussions on colorblind racism; racially influenced pedagogical practices in the United States (how is race taught in schools?); and the need for engaging with subaltern histories.

Submitted By: Jillet Sarah Sam

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