Black Critical Patriotism: An Inquiry for Social Justice

Abstract

Black Critical Patriotism: An Inquiry for Social Justice Terrance Lewis (bio) Ahmaud Arbery, COVID-19, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter protests, Breonna Taylor, and the election of President Joseph Biden. [1] These pivotal events and others from 2020 revealed much about societal norms and conditions currently existing within the United States of America, which many consider to be post-racial. While many of those events affected all communities in negative ways, no community felt it worse than those who have been historically excluded from fully benefiting from the rights and privileges guaranteed to all citizens born or naturalized in America. [2] To add to that, I believe many of the events from 2020 not only revealed but exacerbated the unfair societal conditions already facing members of historically excluded communities, leaving many questioning the validity of America’s claim to be a post-racial society. I find it impossible to consider America a post-racial society without questioning the existence and impact of dominant power structures stemming from one of the darkest moments in American history, the period of enslavement. Those power structures, in my opinion, continue to be dominated by race, gender, and class. Furthermore, research and the recent racial injustices occurring in 2020 suggest historically excluded communities within the United States do not have equal experiences with the same political systems promising equal opportunity for all. [3] Unfortunately, this reality is not isolated, and has continued to occur since the arrival of diverse groups in America. Therefore, the time has come for America to speak honestly regarding the negative ramifications of enslavement currently existing within society. In complete honesty, this will be easier said than done, especially given the current amount of polarization in American society. [4] A quick view of social media platforms will show the difficulty of engaging in simple civil discourse regarding [End Page 19] anything considered controversial or political.[5] However, I believe civil discourse and open discussion are the first steps in dismantling the dominant power structure in America and making America a more equitable country for its entire citizenry. While every entity and everyone has a role to play, schools are uniquely positioned to play a major role achieving this goal. Given the diversity of perspectives present in most schools, they are gold mines for teaching students how to civilly discuss, engage, and respond to those with whom they might differ. This type of instruction will be critical in achieving and sustaining worthwhile change beneficial to everyone living in American society. Furthermore, a proper and effective social studies education requires such instruction. According to the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Position Statement, a powerful social studies education prepares students to be productive citizens, requires students to “confront multiple dilemmas,” and “encourages students to speculate, think critically, and make personal and civic decisions on information from multiple perspectives.” [6] It goes on to say powerful social studies should be value-based and include multiple points of view. While I agree with all these assertions, I believe an effective social studies education goes a step further by equipping students with tools to challenge and ultimately change dominant power structures they deem unjust or unfair. Critical pedagogy, social justice pedagogy, and abolitionist teaching include the major components associated with this form of teaching. [7] Therefore, any conversation examining the impact of dominant power structures must occur through a lens of social justice where all perspectives are included, heard, and respected. I believe that this will lead to the creation of a more equitable society. While the results of this practice are promising, this must be a collaborative effort. Although much of the conversation surrounding the teaching of civil discourse occurs within the field of social studies education, it needs to be included across all content areas. All content areas present opportunities for students to engage and discuss with others who have differing experiences and perspectives. Given these opportunities, social studies classes must take the lead in modeling and implementing this work. Nevertheless, research suggests many students are not engaging in active or critical learning requiring them to consider multiple perspectives, debate, or engage in discussion, which are all skills needed for productive civil discourse...