Countering miseducation: Situating K-12 Social Studies education within the Black Intellectual Tradition

Abstract

“Countering Miseducation: Situating K-12 Social Studies Education within the Black Intellectual Tradition” combines two separate articles—Part I “Re-membering” The Teachings of PtahHotep: Educational Implications of the Oldest Book in the World” and Part II “Locating Early 20th Century K-12 Black Social Studies Educator, Leila Amos Pendleton, within the Black Intellectual Tradition.” Our aim is to speak to limitations and new possibilities in Social Studies education. We address lesser known Black intellectuals, PtahHotep in ancient Egypt [Kemet] and Leila Amos Pendleton, African American educator and social activist, and how their intellectual contributions expand the contours of school-based instructional knowledge for teachers and diverse learners. Moreover, this article uses African-centered perspectives to place key issues surrounding standards-based Social Studies instruction within the context of the Black Intellectual Tradition. In Part III, we conclude with a duoethnography discussion on the aforementioned intellectuals and the implications of their work for the continued development of Social Studies education.