Youth Voices: History Curriculum
In May 2022, Levine Museum of the New South gathered a group of Charlotte high school students to share experiences and ideas about the current history curriculum taught in schools.
Larry Bosc (retired history teacher) and Hannah Hassan (spoken word poet and creative facilitator) were invited to offer insights and moderate the discussion, where students shared their perspectives on the history they learn and raised questions and concerns: Why are certain ethnic groups left out of the history curriculum? Who gets to decide how the curriculum is shaped? Why is so much of local Charlotte history not taught?
We invite you to engage in the discussion shared in the four-part video series below. As you move through the conversation, we hope it will encourage you to personally reflect on themes you notice, experiences you’ve had, and changes you would make to the way history is taught.
Feel free to use this discussion guide for personal or group reflection.
Part One: My current history class experience
Part Two: What’s missing from history class?
Part Three: Why are certain stories left out of history class?
Part Four: Let’s reimagine a better future
Discussion Guide
After watching the Youth Voices: History Curriculum videos, use this guide for
group discussions or personal reflections.
What are some of the themes you noticed in the video?
Were you able to make any connections to your experiences?
What did you agree or disagree with?
What ideas or thoughts would you add to the conversation?
What question would you want to ask to learn more?
Do you think it is important to learn about the histories of different people
and cultures?
If so, why? If not, why not?
After viewing the recording, what changes would you like to see made to
the way history is taught to students in your city/town in the next few
years?
What can you do to help make these changes happen?
The following are additional reading resources that Mr. Larry Bosc shared with the students ahead of the recording:
- The Children’s Crusade: When the Youth of Birmingham Marched for Justice
- How Latinos Paved the Way For Brown v. Board of Education
- The Walkout — How a student movement in 1968 changed schools forever (Part 1 of 3)
- How a Local Historian Uncovered Trezzvant Anderson, the Charlotte Civil Rights Hero You’ve Never Heard Of
- The historical alliance behind today’s Strike for Black Lives: A partnership between the Black Panther Party and the United Farm Workers paid off