Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/939681
W E W E R E R O Y A L T Y I N A F R I C A before we were slaves," she says proudly. "There is much more to our history than what the history books tell us." Debra Robinson is among the many educators to change the tradition of teaching black history just one month per year. Her class instills African American students with a sense of pride that comes from under- standing their comprehensive history, including ancient Egyptian civilization, where major advancements in mathematics, astronomy, science and architecture took place. Students look forward to the monthly visits from Egyptologist Anthony T. Browder, an author and cultural historian who has lectured worldwide on issues related to African and African American History. P r o j e c t W O R D ( w h i c h s t a n d s f o r Working on Redefining Our Destiny) is a cultural enrichment class for African Amer- ican students created by Debra Watkins, a longtime San Jose educator and current exec- utive director of A Black Education Network (aben4ace.org), formerly called the Califor- nia Alliance of African American Educators. "Black history should not be just a one- month event," says Robinson, a member of the East Side Teachers Association. "It's part of American history. You can't separate these things. In most schools, our history begins in America with slavery. But we were people before we were slaves." While Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks are the most recognized leaders in the struggle for civil rights, Robinson makes a point to teach students about lesser known leaders and events in black history, including Huey Newton and the Black Panther Movement, human rights activist Malcolm X, the Harlem Renaissance of art and music that led to the Roar- ing '20s, historian and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, botanist and scientist George Washington Carver, and renowned mathematician and astronomer Benjamin Banneker, whose mathematical genius was key in the design and development of the nation's capital. History, she explains, is broader than a few individuals. Students also discuss what Robinson describes as " black history in the making," such as the Black Lives Matter movement and athletes taking a knee during the national anthem, both forms of protest to raise awareness of African Americans who have been gunned down in the streets of America in record numbers. "We discuss our responsibility as African Americans in terms of patriotism, when in many ways we are being dis- honored as citizens," says Robinson. "We discuss the need to remain conscious and vigilant of who we are and what we are doing as events continue to evolve, so we understand what is going on in our world. e theme for this year is 'Stay Woke.' " Best of all, the class communicates to black students that they Debra Robinson with student Christian Drake. " " We discuss the need to remain conscious and vigilant of who we are and what we are doing, as events continue to evolve." — DEBRA ROBINSON, EAST SIDE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION 21 F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 018 Debra Robinson Ashlea Laury, left, and Rozalina Ingram in Debra Robinson's class.