Through the Lens of Those We Love: Uplifting Oral Histories and Finding Common Threads
By Cierra Kaler-Jones
Argument:
Kaler-Jones argues that throughout history schools and classrooms have erased or edited historical events to portray a less than accurate account of certain moments in time and the result is that those events that are obliterated are forgotten and or misrepresented. Therefore, those events are not passed on as accurate or not passed on at all. She goes on to say that along with forgetting, editing, or omitting history there is the notion of such events being “whitewashed, sanitized versions of history that the privilege dominant narrative are uplifted, and rich legacies of resistance and collective struggle are erased.” Kaler-Jones discusses the importance of oral histories to resurrect those true, factual, and forgotten stories and to also uncovers common themes such as racism in the eyes of those who experienced social and historical events that are not taught in the classroom today. Her discussion outlines a structured program to install in the classroom that will engage students to be curious about histories that live within their own lineage and to rewrite history textbooks.
Key Points:
1.Kaler-Jones makes mention of Tulsa’s Greenwood District (Black Wall Street) in her article to assist in strengthening her argument. I did not have knowledge of her reference, so I did some research. I was directed to the Oklahoma historical society page where there is reference to the Greenwood District.
In the spring of 1921 underlying social and economic tension in Tulsa sparked the worst racial violence in American history. As many as three hundred people lost their lives. Property damage ran into the millions of dollars. The Greenwood District, the thirty-five-square-block-area that comprised the city's entire African American community, lay in ruins.
Tulsa's African Americans ultimately turned tragedy into triumph. They rebuilt the ravaged Greenwood District, which by 1942 boasted 242 black-owned and black-operated business establishments.
The greenwood district is a perfect example of an event that has been misrepresented, edited, or forgotten by certain groups of individuals. The full story should be about the success and prosperity of the African Americans living in the Greenwood District but instead most accounts are about its demise.
2.Kaler-Jones engaged a small cohort of Black female students who were members of her dance company. She describes the group as curious about the education that they deserve verses the education that they received. Through formal and informal conversation, she discovered “what could become possible when we viewed the history that lives in our lineage.” Based on that direct quote she compelled the students to obtain oral history testimonies from their loved ones. Prior to obtaining the testimonies she asked the students what they knew or learned about Black history, particularly in their experiences at school. The hope was that by merging what the students have already learned with oral history testimonies from loved ones, that although history was often written about them, they could rewrite history to elevate their experiences. I feel that here Kaler-Jones is speaking similarly to that of Lisa Delpit. Delpit’s work Other People’s Children discusses the culture of power and the reflection of the rules of the culture of power of those who have power. “Acquisition of the culture of those who are in power is achieved by the children of the middle class. Children from other kinds of families operate within perfectly wonderful and viable cultures that carry the codes and rules of power.” I think this quote is powerful and details what Kaler-Jones is wanting to achieve.
3.Vivo codes were discovered within the oral history testimonies. One particular code was….racism. “It wasn’t only individual acts of racism they experienced, but it was also from different institutions like school and the workplace. Also, many of the people we interviewed came from different places, so it was something much bigger than just individual acts of racism they were experiencing.” Alan Johnson spoke about experiences and challenges. He stated in his article Privilege, Power and Difference “we learn from our experiences, but we must investigate others.” Because his primary goal is to change how people think about issues of difference and privilege, I feel that Kaler-Jones’ discovery of the pervasive vivo cod racism in her work speaks to Johnson’s hope that by hearing, understanding, and acknowledging the experiences of others will propel a changed thought process of those privileged enough to not experience racism.
Kaler-Jones concluded that “there is a magic in remembering the rich legacies from which we come from. When we begin to uncover the truths of history through the lens of those we love, we can be reminded of the power we hold in being a part of a long continuum of change.”
Hi Patricia! This was a great article and topic to write about this week. It is very interesting to reflect back on our own experiences in the classroom remembering the history lessons we learned and the lenses through which we learned history. I wonder how many historical events that I have learned about throughout my life such as Tulsa's Greenwood District that were modified, misrepresented, edited, or "whitewashed." Great work on this!
ReplyDeleteHello Patricia! This topic is so important in the work we do as educators! The example of Tulsa Race Massacre is both shocking and heartbreaking. How can we learn from history's mistakes if we do not learn about the true history in our country? Thank you for bringing this topic up this week! Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia. I remember seeing a documentary that included the Tulsa Race Massacre; however, I really appreciate learning from the article you selected. Oral history is so important, and sometimes is the only way certain cultures have passed down their knowledge.
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog post. You chose an interesting article. I actually ended up reading it after reading your post. I remember learning about the Greenwood District in school, but just as the article explained, I only learned about the demise, not the amazing accomplishments of the Black community coming together to rebuild and succeed. It is concerning to think about how much history has been lost through "whitewashing." It makes me wonder how much of what is taught is historically accurate.
What an interesting article Patricia. I've never read the more vivid details of this violence. It's worrying to think about the history that has been lost due to "whitewashing." It makes me question the accuracy of what we've been taught through the years.
ReplyDelete