Call to Action to Tennessee Residents and People Who Used to Live in TN
A new proposal threatens to strip critical pieces of Tennessee’s history from the required Social Studies curriculum in Tennessee Public Schools. Important civil rights figures and events are proposed for removal including references to Highlander, not only known for our role in the Civil Rights’ Era but also as a place still resilient in the fight for social justice.
We are also concerned about the erasure of other prominent figures and social justice movements including the effort to extend voting rights to women, acknowledgment of Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Alex Haley and “Roots,” the tent city movement in western Tennessee, the Coal Creek War, and the story of how Tennessee became the “Volunteer State”. It is critical for students to connect state history to national events, to be civically informed, and to understand the past in order to create a better future. Join us in stopping the erasure of the Tennessee’s rich cultural and political history from state education standards today.
Articles
- Black Caucus objects to proposed changes in Tennessee history requirements
- Proposed changes could leave big moments in Tennessee’s past out of history books
- Letter signed by Lt. Governor Ramsey and key legislative leaders
Standards of Interest
- Fifth Grade Standard 5.51 (Key events/people during the Civil Rights Movement)
- US History Standard US 79 (Significant Events)
Action Items
- CRITIQUE THE STANDARD: Tennessee residents (current and former) may comment through the formal hearing process which closes on October 28th at https://apps.tn.gov/tcas/. Since the proposed curriculum doesn’t mention the areas that are to be dropped, be sure to note the specific items that you think should remain in the curriculum in the standards above. It is also critical that these items be in the REQUIRED CURRICULUM – not just electives, which are not offered in most counties.
- SEND AN EMAIL: Concerns about the proposal can be sent to Review@tn.gov
- WRITE LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR / OP-ED PIECES for Tennessee newspapers
- EDUCATE YOURSELF AND OTHERS: Please share this call to action and the listed articles to your social media networks and email contact lists.