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"An epiphany over a statue of Gandhi",,"In front of the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta you’ll find this statue of Mohandas Gandhi. For years I have used a photograph of this statue to introduce our Indian Independence unit to my 7th graders with the prompt “Why is this statue of Gandhi in front of the King Center?” My students are already familiar with the American civil rights movement, and this inquiry was always a great hook to learn about Gandhi’s system of nonviolent civil disobedience, which Dr. King utilized so effectively.
Recently a substitute teacher asked a question that made me re-evaluate this prompt and the lesson I’d been teaching. During a casual conversation at lunch she asked me, “Why is Gandhi’s statue in front of the King Center?” I started to talk about satyagraha and how King found inspiration from Gandhi’s methods of protesting injustice, when she stopped me. “No, why is a statue of a racist in front of Dr. King’s museum?”
I was taken aback. It’s true, Gandhi’s racism toward people of African descent is well documented. He wrote about the black people of South Africa using derogatory terms like “Kaffir” and lamented the indignity of being imprisoned with native Africans. He spoke out against forcing Indians to share the same communities with Africans and condemned the denigration of Indian genes through marriage with black people.
Without realizing it, I had been teaching a sanitized version of Gandhi’s legacy. This moment opened a whole box of questions. For example:
- Surely, Dr. King knew about Gandhi’s views. Yet, he chose to ignore these for the sake of what he could accomplish by using Gandhi as a role model. What does that say about Dr. King? Was he selectively ignoring the racism or was his character so strong that he could look past this?
- Who “owns” history? Historians who seek to paint the clearest, most accurate record of the past? Or people who use those lessons for their own purposes?
- Was my pride in engaging students with history in a way that was easy for them to digest misplaced? Have I been doing them a disservice all these years?
So, I’m embracing a new approach. History is messy and needs to be taught that way. Exposing students to all sides of a story gives them a better chance to explore the nuances and form their own opinions. It can also give them a deeper appreciation for figures like Dr. King.",,"Statue of Mohandas Gandhi ",,"September 2018","Rick Parker, Middle School Social Studies Teacher",,,,,,epiphany-over-gandhi,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,TAC,"Atlanta, Georgia,Civil Disobedience,Gandhi, Mohandas,History,History Education,King, Martin Luther,Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change,Memory,Racism,Statues,Teachers & Teaching",http://humanitiesmoments.org/files/original/229/Gandhi_Statue.jpg,Text,,1,0
"The Virginia State Capitol: Past and Present","An architectural design conveys the meaning or purpose of a building. The designer want us to experience something when we see, enter, or tour a building. But it strikes me that the architecture itself can have many meanings and that historical events and people who live and work in buildings can transform their original intent. The humanities should teach us to appreciate architecture and understand the meaning of public buildings, but they also give us the tools to see beyond the edifice, the structure, the artistic beauty. When we look beyond the purpose of the building to the people inside, we are likely to find a new and different meaning and purpose.","I had been to the Virginia State Capitol many times since I moved to Richmond in 1989. I’ve viewed proceedings in the House and Senate chambers, held meetings for students, given several lectures in the meeting rooms, and toured the building with family, friends, and students. Yet, until I took part in the Humanities in Class project with the National Humanities Center, I had not thought carefully about why the building was so important, both to me and to the people of Virginia. Just recently I visited the Capitol with a group of students and as I looked up at huge white columns and wandered through the building, I began to think more deeply about the transformative nature of this place. I looked past the architecture, the museum pieces and the contemporary issues debated in the General Assembly to the problem of race in the history of Virginia. I also began to think of its ability to transform the lives of my students.
An architectural design conveys the meaning or purpose of a building. The designer want us to experience something when we see, enter, or tour a building. But it strikes me that the architecture itself can have many meanings and that historical events and people who live and work in buildings can transform their original intent. The humanities should teach us to appreciate architecture and understand the meaning of public buildings, but they also give us the tools to see beyond the edifice, the structure, the artistic beauty. When we look beyond the purpose of the building to the people inside, we are likely to find a new and different meaning and purpose.","Thomas Jefferson with Charles-Louis Clerriseau","The Virginia State Capitol",,"July 2017","Daniel J. Palazzolo, 56, professor of political science at the University of Richmond",,,,,,virginia-state-capitol-past-present,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"",,,"Architecture,Capitols,Clérisseau, Charles-Louis,History,Jefferson, Thomas,Presidents of the United States,Professors,Public Buildings,Racism,Richmond, Virginia,Teachers & Teaching,University of Richmond,Virginia State Capitol",http://humanitiesmoments.org/files/original/7/105/7358972234_b6c87cd027_b.jpg,"Moving Image",#Humanitiesinclass,1,0
"Remembering the Music","I’ve discovered that I often associate different songs or artists with events in my life. Music is such a boon to an old woman’s memories. Some songs connect to events or ideas, such as my sixth grade Christmas pageant. Some songs connect to people, such as how I remember my late uncle from the song we often lip-synced to as we worked together. Music has the power to carry more than just a melody. I remember reading how Glen Campbell had developed Alzheimer’s Disease, but even as he lost the ability to remember the lyrics, he could still play the guitar. Music stays with you long after other things are forgotten, evoking emotions that are connected to the past.","When I was in elementary school I didn’t know anything about racial conflict or even recognize there were racial differences between the kids at my school. My classmates were just friends or people I went to school with. Everyone looked different, some had freckles, some had red hair, and some were darker skinned. That all changed the year of the 6th grade Christmas pageant. The program represented waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve with two students representing a brother and sister. All the other students singing various songs. The student selected to play the brother was white while the student selected to play the sister was African American. I remember being jealous that they were getting so much attention, but I quickly forgot my negative feelings as I prepared and rehearsed my part in the program. Then, the program grew negative as the boy’s mother protested her son being on stage with a non-white sister character. He was pulled from the show. I remember being so confused because I thought this is just a play and everyone knows they aren’t a real brother and sister, so why was this such a big deal. That was the first time I remember learning about racism, and to this day I remember this moment whenever I hear the Christmas carol I sang during that program.
I’ve discovered that I often associate different songs or artists with events in my life. Music is such a boon to an old woman’s memories. Some songs connect to events or ideas, such as my sixth grade Christmas pageant. Some songs connect to people, such as how I remember my late uncle from the song we often lip-synced to as we worked together. Music has the power to carry more than just a melody. I remember reading how Glen Campbell had developed Alzheimer’s Disease, but even as he lost the ability to remember the lyrics, he could still play the guitar. Music stays with you long after other things are forgotten, evoking emotions that are connected to the past.",,,,"December, 1976","Cherry Whipple, 52, Teacher",,,,,,remembering-the-music,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Christmas Music,Christmas Plays,Connersville, Indiana,Elementary School,Memory,Music,Racism,Teachers & Teaching",http://humanitiesmoments.org/files/original/9/104/carols.jpg,Text,"Teacher Advisory Council",1,0