Diverse Education needs to be taught
In the United States, a majority of what we learn in schools is tied to the history of America. Only sparse details of history in Europe are taught, mainly when we claimed independence from England. If we’re lucky, when we get to college, we’ll take classes that expand our knowledge by discussing the history of other continents and how immigrants in America were treated upon their arrival. Diverse education isn’t something school districts should consider; it should be required.
A good example of white-washed history is the celebration and remembrance of Columbus Day. The so-called “holiday” describes Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Caribbean and America. However, Columbus and other settlers drove Native Americans off their land and subjected them to centuries of misery. Despite being instituted by Berkeley in 1992, Indigenous People’s Day has only been recognized since 2014 by other schools nationwide. This holiday coincides with Columbus Day as a way to recognize the mistreatment of Native Americans throughout history.
It’s rare to find a school district willing to tell the truth of not just national historical events, but ones on a global scale. More often than not, only people with ethnic backgrounds know of the history in their countries while those in America don’t have the slightest clue as to global events. Those who are interested in learning more about the world around them often have to wait to learn about these subjects in higher education courses or seek out the information themselves. As students, we should be able to obtain this information easily, instead of it being withheld from us either due to lack of interest or being banned due to other’s personal beliefs.
Multicultural education and awareness is a crucial part of benefitting how students interact with the world around them. It promotes acceptance and better prepares students for interacting with people they may not have thought about interacting with before. School districts should be implementing diversity into their curriculum at a young age to prevent prejudices and misinformation from becoming a part of the way they think later on in life. It encourages students to be open-minded and to create safe environments for others, knowing they have a little bit of background as to how others live in society. Implementing diversity in the classroom at a young age can also peak curiosity to expand beyond the classroom, encouraging students to attend cultural events throughout their communities to further expand their knowledge.
According to Drexel.edu, the U.S. Census has predicted by 2044, over half of the nation’s population will be of people of color. Diversity isn’t going anywhere; rather, it’s increasing exponentially. Despite the lack of diversity being taught in schools, when students enter the post-graduate workforce, diversity, be it religious, racial, ethnic, language, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or gender identity is a common fact of life. By restricting access to diverse education, we are only setting up our future generations of students to fail.