King's comments should be a 'teachable moment' for schools

In a July 18 MSNBC panel discussion, U.S. Rep. Steve King asked "where did any other sub-groups contribute more to civilization" than "white people," "Christianity," and "Western civilization." As historians and social studies educators, we feel a professional and moral obligation to denounce these comments.

First, they are grossly inaccurate. For literally thousands of years, people of color, people who are not Christian, and cultures outside of “the West” have made profound contributions in every domain of society — on every continent — even during eras of brutal oppression and violence against them by white “Westerners” and Christians who worked in well-documented ways to deny, ignore and eradicate their contributions.

Second, these comments are reprehensible and dangerous. They represent the foundation of a belief in white supremacy that continues to justify bias, discrimination and brutality at the individual and institutional level.

What also troubles us is that we know Rep. King is not alone in his thinking. Even if he were no longer to serve in Congress, these beliefs would persist. We know from decades of research and experience that this kind of deeply flawed and reckless misunderstanding of history often goes unchallenged or is even promoted within schools.

We thus suggest that we use King’s comments as what educators call a “teachable moment”: an unplanned incident that offers an unusually good opportunity to understand an important concept. As deplorable as his remarks are, everyone can use them as a catalyst to highlight and work against the racism, xenophobia and religious intolerance in our communities and educational system.

We call on our fellow teachers from preschool to graduate school to review their curriculum so no student could leave the classroom incorrectly believing that white people, Christians or Western civilization have contributed more to society than other “sub-groups.”

We call on our fellow parents to contact their child’s school to make sure that it teaches the histories of people of color, people who are not Christian and civilizations outside of the “West,” and teaches them well — not just as an aside during a particular month or an insert of a textbook page.

We call on our fellow teacher education programs to ensure students develop the capacity to do this kind of teaching before graduating and to provide sustained, affordable opportunities for in-service teachers to further develop the necessary skills and content knowledge to do so.

We call on every school, district and state administrator to protect time for high quality social studies instruction, devote resources to the necessary materials for a rich multicultural curriculum across all disciplines, and support teachers in this work whether it is encouraging their professional development efforts or defending them against criticisms rooted in ignorance.

We call on our fellow historians to find ways to make their scholarship documenting these histories as accessible as possible to teachers and the general public, and on universities to incentivize and formally recognize this kind of valuable outreach.

Lastly, we call on donors and foundations to offer grant money for the development of resources and programming that assist in these efforts, especially with regards to our powerful state and local histories.

What kind of history do we want our children to learn: one that is inaccurate, dangerous and embarrassing or one that is evidence-based, inclusive and inspiring? If we are to live with peace and justice in a pluralistic society, we must all work together to ensure it is the latter.

KATY SWALWELL is an assistant professor in the school of education at Iowa State University. This op-ed is signed by more than 100 historians and social studies educators across Iowa.

COMPLETE LIST OF SIGNATORIES

Katy Swalwell, Iowa State University; Keisha N. Blain, University of Iowa; Deborah L. Michaels, Grinnell College; Sarah Pamperin, Iowa State University; Tom Morain; Kevin M. Gannon, Grand View University; Jennifer Gallagher, Iowa State University; Naomi Greyser, University of Iowa; William D. Morain, Dartmouth, retired; Carrie Jacobs; Teresa Mangum, University of Iowa; Catherine Stewart, Cornell College; Patricia Woodward-Young, Simpson College; Petra Lange, Drake University; Amber M. Graeber, Des Moines Public Schools; Michael Andrew Žmolek, University of Iowa; Greg Wickenkamp, Iowa State University; Cheryl Mullenbach; Leslie Schwalm, University of Iowa; Gale Seiler, Iowa State University; Dick Robertson, St. Ambrose University; Kate Kauper, Cornell College; Scott Ellison, University of Northern Iowa; Jennie S. Schmidt, Mount Mercy University; Marc A. McCoy, Mount Mercy University; Carolyn Colvin, University of Iowa; Loren Glass, University of Iowa; Mary Ann Rasmussen, University of Iowa; Meg Jacobs, Cornell College; Jason Harshman, University of Iowa; Thomas Connors, University of Northern Iowa; Kembrew McLeod, University of Iowa; John Franklin, Graceland University; Ellen Warrington, Mount Mercy University; Lori Witt, Central College; Jodi Grover; Steven A. Glazer, Graceland University; Amy Rutenberg, Ed. M., Ph.D.; Michael Shaw, Des Moines Roosevelt High School; Jeannette Gabriel, University of Iowa; Bruce Fehn, University of Iowa, Emeritus; Dan Stevenson, West Liberty Community Schools; Brie Swenson Arnold, Coe College; Charles Holcombe, University of Northern Iowa; Angela Ziskowski, Coe College; Sarah J. Purcell, Grinnell College; Carolyn Herbst Lewis, Grinnell College; Lauren Anderson, Luther College; Guy Nave, Luther College; Konrad Sadkowski, University of Northern Iowa; Timothy Mooney, Ames High School; Robert Uetz, Ames High School, retired; Jennifer Rasmussen, Mount Mercy University; Ariana A. Ruiz, University of Iowa; Christine Ogren, University of Iowa; Darcie Vandegrift, Drake University; Natalie Fixmer-Oraiz, University of Iowa; Stephanie Logan, University of Northern Iowa; Shanna Benjamin, Grinnell College; Derek N. Buckaloo, Coe College; Lakesia D. Johnson, Grinnell College; Kathryn J McCormick; Stephen Voyce, University of Iowa; Amber Davison, Des Moines Public Schools; David O’Connor, Des Moines Public Schools; Alan Hastings, Grinnell College; Leo Landis; Colleen Schmitt, Kirkwood Community College; Rawley Butler; Karla A. Erickson, Grinnell College; David J. Cohen, Kirkwood Community College; Gina Hausknecht, Coe College; Jeremy Best, M.A.T., Ph. D.; Jonathon Struve, Luther College; Meenakshi Gigi Durham; Patrick Naick, Coe College; John Warne Monroe, Iowa State University; Rebecca Entel, Cornell College; Isaac Gottesman, Iowa State University; Lori Hinton, Valley High School West Des Moines Community Schools; Chad Žmolek, Ames High School ; Hal S. Chase, Ph. D., Emeritus Instructor of History, DMACC-Urban Campus; Michael Bowman, Iowa State University; Cynthia Gillette, M.A. History, Ames High School; Jill Karch, Iowa State University; Sunday G Ogunsola, Ames High School; Dennis McElroy, Graceland University; Christy Wolfe, Coe College; Kim P. Huckstadt, Educational Leadership, University of Northern Iowa; Ellen E. Fairchild, Iowa State University; Katherine Richardson Bruna, Iowa State University; Jennifer Cooley; Jacki Rand; Ann Olsen Schodde; Kirilka Stavreva, Cornell College; Michele Dickey-Kotz, Graceland University; Sean Neilly, Coe College; Katherine H. Tachau, University of Iowa; Paul Griffiths, Iowa State University; Lawrence T. McDonnell, Iowa State University; Alisa Meggitt, Iowa City Schools; Cori Jakubiak, Grinnell College; Joe Neisser, Grinnell College; Lisa Payne Ossian, DMACC; Brian Caton, Luther College; Kathleen Hilliard, Iowa State University; Catherine Mein, Ballard High School; Shelton Stromquist, University of Iowa; Leah Slick-Driscoll