Who Needs Multicultural Education? White Students, U.S. History, and the Construction of a Usable Past

Abstract

This article evaluates the efforts of three teachers at a predominantly white middle school to create a multicultural U.S. history curriculum by focusing on the experiences of enslaved African Americans during the Civil War. I argue that this focus unintentionally undermines students' ability to use history as a resource for thinking about contemporary race relations. 1 conclude with some suggestions for creating a multicultural history curriculum that will benefit both white students and students of color.

Re-naming, re-imagining America: multicultural curriculum as classification struggle

“…As I have noted elsewhere (Olneck, 1993; also see Wills, 1996), representing the 'part played' or 'contributions made' by individuals from diverse groups in well-established landmark activities or events re-affirms the traditional narrative.…”

“…Wills & Mehan (1996) advance a narrative of American history as an on-going 'struggle for civil rights', in which the various American peoples are always present (insofar as their presence is historically valid), and not relegated to limited 'places' in the script, such as slavery and the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans (Wills, 1996). [8] The possibilities for such new narratives must contend with the resistance of those defending entrenched narratives and with the inherent instability that attend any narratives, including counter-narratives, which themselves necessarily create 'silences' that obscure internal heterogeneity (see Hall, 1997b).…”

“…[14] Where groups are made visible in historical narrative, where they count, is important to the question of where they belong in the social order. John Wills (1996) has noted the way in which textbook accounts of African Americans remain anchored in slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. In the emphasis on slavery, these accounts leave African Americans as people upon whom Americans (read 'Whites') acted, and not as definers of what America is, who is an American, and whose history and stories are ' America's'.…”

Social Studies, Citizenship Education, and the Search for an American Identity: An Argument against a Unifying Narrative

“…A quick perusal of academic literature on social studies education will no doubt find numerous scholars touting the merits of diversity and inclusion within the study of history while simultaneously railing against the exclusionary tenets of civic republicanism. It is widely accepted within academic circles that teaching social studies from a diverse perspective that critically questions traditional notions of history is beneficial for the civic development of all students due to the increased empathy and cultural understanding that is achieved from doing so (Banks, 1990;Barton & Levstik, 2004;Ladson-Billings, 2003;Ogbu, 1992;Wills, 1996). Even as early as the turn of the previous century, Dewey (1909) argued for the teaching of history from a sociological standpoint, stating that "the ethical value of history teaching will be measured by the extent to which past events are made the means of understanding the present" (p. 36).…”

“…These answers reflect the influence the traditional narrative and popular culture have on students, and no one should expect our future educators to become instantly enlightened once they walk onto a university campus. Moreover, as Wills (1996) notes, exposure to a multicultural education is beneficial for all students, not just students of color. Therefore, subject area courses in educational diversity should be mandated for all teacher education programs, and courses in social studies methods should center on critiquing traditional versions of history by looking at them through a critical lens (Giroux & McLaren, 1986).…”