Petition to School Boards to Teach Reconstruction

Signatures

This is the list of people who have signed the pledge or petition to date.

Sandra Campbell | Philadelphia, PA
Samantha Healy | Jamestown, RI
Trina Laws | Hazel Crest, IL
Jackie Fuller | Portland, OR
Sharon Wardlaw | Orlando, FL
Most Americans are unaware of the remarkable achievements of African American men after the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, and before the era of Jim Crow, when black men were "put back in their place". This part of our history is especially relevant today.
Tomas Soto-Garcia | Woodstock, IL
Mark Brody | Canajoharie, NY
Julia Bartholomew-King | Brooklyn, NY
Shari Baerga | Vallejo, CA
I teach Reconstruction EVERY year as a part the first Civil Rights movement and change. I think the 13, 14, 15, amendments are extremely important and they provide the foundation for examining the rest of US history in my class
Anonymous | Rancho Mirage, CA
Mark Boesken Jr | Buffalo, NY
A pivotal period in American History that helps build context and understanding of today's world. The progresses that were made during the 12 year period at the political level are often left out in the discussions and textbooks around the country. It's important to teach about Reconstruction because it's legacy is still felt to this day.
Anisha Datta | London, ON, CA
An important step to usher in social transformation - how we look at social issues, how we think and eventually what actions we undertake.
Lyzette Garza | Nashville, TN
Ruth Winestock | Berkeley, CA
THIS IS SO NEEDED!!! NO EXPLANATION NECESSARY I HOPE !!!!!
Alisha Bicknell | Columbus, OH
Isabella Bowker | Baltimore, MD
Students deserve to learn ALL of American History, even our most shameful moments. They are living the effects of Reconstruction today, and deserve to understand the full context behind why our country is the way it is, with all of its systemic shortcomings and inequities.
Rebecca Welch Weigel | Englewood, CO
Barb Rose | Saint Paul, MN
Kimberly Redding | Waukesha, WI
1. Because many of the decisions & actions of that time reverberate today.2. Because Reconstruction provides clear examples of systemic privilege at the local, state and federal level.3. Because acknowledging truth usually comes before reconciliation.
Debra Johnson | Del Valle, TX
Too much U.S. history remains untaught. And that history primarily involves Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. If we want to understand the difficulties & accomplishments of this nation, children must learn an inclusive and accurate history.
Karen Beranek | Unalakleet, AK
Ann Roy | Southampton, MA
I teach social welfare policy in a highly diverse social work graduate program. This is such a vital area within which to engage students at an early age. As you say, to understand what happened in the Reconstruction Era is to understand our democracy, to understand the state of policing in current times, and to deeply understand that there has never, in the history of America, been social justice for persons of color. Understanding our shameful history is the only way forward.
Sarah E Miller | Boone, NC
It has always been important to teach about this complex and often misunderstood--or misrepresented--topic , but is now more important than ever. Honest and thoughtful study about historical periods is one of the only, and crucial, ways we can understand our present by applying our knowledge about our past. It's also the only way we can learn, or relearn the lessons we need in order to make a better present: avoid repeating bad and harmful decisions, actions and policies, and honestly and critically enact necessary change, for now, and for the future.
Brian Jacks | Mundelein, IL
I taught Reconstruction for over twenty years and really enjoyed it.
Zane Dickey | Mesa, AZ