COSEBOC Standards Course - KLW They Came Before Columbus by Gene Thompson-Grove

My schooling

2023-11-16 23:14:50 UTC

Coming up...I was only taught about Egypt for anything relating to Africa. And we did the myth of Thanksgiving and the Trail of Tears in US History...along with the monstrosity of President Andrew Jackson for Indigenous people in America.

2023-11-16 23:16:19 UTC

I was taught that Europeans were "civilized" and thus superior and that their presence and leadership was a benefit to the "uncivilized" and black and brown people.

2023-11-16 23:20:28 UTC

I read the "They Came before Columbus" excerpt. I learned that people from Guinea made it to the americas before Columbus. Yet Columbus was not only credited for the discovery of the Americas but somehow that this discovery entitled him to ownership and taking part of the partitioning of the new world between the catholic kings in Iberia (Spain and Portugal).

It's a threat to power

2023-11-16 23:21:25 UTC

2023-11-16 23:21:38 UTC

This goes back to the quote on the last set of slides... it would be harmful to the white supremacist structures that continue to be upheld by our educational institutions.

I recall learning about the "uncivilized" "continent" as well as the "uncivilized indigenous" people. The impression I was left with was that they needed to be fixed and that slavery and colonization was the attempt to do so.

2023-11-16 23:22:46 UTC

2023-11-16 23:22:47 UTC

Learned more about Mansa Musa's brother. On a trip to Mexico and Guatemala as a kid, I was lucky enough to see the Toltec head sculptures...and it was clear that there was African influence there. Learning about the word, "guanines," was great.

Africans were not civilized and were brought to the American to work under the direction of the White man. Hence the birth of Slavey in America.

2023-11-16 23:23:12 UTC

2023-11-16 23:23:30 UTC

What all we do not know

2023-11-16 23:23:38 UTC

I learned that history is the way to level the playing field. Knowledge was exponentially stolen and used to uplift one race. It's hard to erase the gains at this point. The land, the resources, the true benefits of this world have been scoured and secured for the benefit of one race.

Why is this short, extremely informative video of Mansa Musa not part of our curriculum?

2023-11-16 23:23:42 UTC

2023-11-16 23:23:46 UTC

Not so much of a wondering but just an anger of how intentional the erasure is and has been.

2023-11-16 23:23:49 UTC

How do can a district infuse new knowledge into our curriculum?

2023-11-16 23:23:55 UTC

Why Guineans weren't recognized for their spirit of exploration. Why they didn't "claim" the territories in the Americas like the Spanish and Portuguese did.

I had never heard about Mansa Musa ---and definitely not his brother. The evidence of their accomplishmets -- even their presence was incredible.

2023-11-16 23:24:01 UTC

2023-11-16 23:24:02 UTC

Mansa Musa: everyone would know more about Black excellence in history

The circumstances of how Cape Verde was established as a Portuguese colony in a dispute for territory between Spain and Portugal

2023-11-16 23:24:05 UTC

2023-11-16 23:24:29 UTC

That it all started with slavery.

2023-11-16 23:24:34 UTC

Cuz then white supremacy would have to fall or at least not be as powerful as it is.

My parents were active in the civil rights movement and were labor union organizers. Because they gave us a proper history at home, I always rejected history in school (especially high school) and often failed due to failure to participate or failure to come to class. I didn't realize that's what I was doing then, but in retrospect, that's what it was.

2023-11-16 23:24:36 UTC

2023-11-16 23:24:55 UTC

People would know the truth. What a concept.

2023-11-16 23:25:05 UTC

I think it would show black and brown children that they have a much deeper history and culture that one that begins with being conquered or enslaved.

Who made the decisions about what we are taught in schools? I'm so angered by this. Conceptually, I knew it was the dominant culture in which I was educated but to intentionally ignore parts of history is criminal.

2023-11-16 23:25:13 UTC

2023-11-16 23:25:42 UTC

It might disrupt the status quo being maintained.

2023-11-16 23:25:54 UTC

Fear of what educated, liberated people might do or claim.

2023-11-16 23:26:05 UTC

Student would learn that people of color did not come from slavery as taught in books when I was in school, but as "sailors, explorers, and kings" from the video Mansa Musa

2023-11-16 23:26:08 UTC

It would build critical thinking skills to inherently questions what stories are missing

That prior to Columbus , Indigenous people talked of "Dark skinned " people arriving in ships and trading with them. Also , Columbus noted these conversstions.

2023-11-16 23:26:18 UTC

GREAT question. For one, it would challenge implicit biases and confirmation bias, right? On the same side of that coin though, it would celebrate our world history as one that is multi layered and textured. Right now, all it does it make non-white students feel inadequate, without power and potentially agency.

2023-11-16 23:26:57 UTC

2023-11-16 23:27:02 UTC

Truth is power. Perhaps when we all come together we find the ultimate truth. What are humans truly capable of achieving on this planet and beyond. Limiting half of our peoples is a way of never getting to our full potential as a species.

2023-11-16 23:27:13 UTC

It adds complexity (not a single story) to the story and white supremacist culture doesn't like complexity, but a binary: good/evil, winner/losers

The truth may not be what society wants.

2023-11-16 23:27:29 UTC

Our country and capitalism, in particular, is reliant upon the subjugation of Black and Brown people. Learning the true history risks white people/people in power learning to respect and honor our humanity, therefore our full rights to EVERYTHING this country and life has to offer.

2023-11-16 23:27:47 UTC

I think I would feel more empowered rather than the story that "we were slaves" and did not exist before

2023-11-16 23:28:38 UTC

Storytelling and knowledge is power. The stories that are told, accepted and believed are controlled by those in power and who they would serve

2023-11-16 23:29:23 UTC