A group of educators, scholars and researchers gathered in a panel discussion at the University of Connecticut on Nov. 12 to talk about the highs and lows of teaching African American and Latino studies in high school classrooms.
Moderated by Alexandra Freidus, an assistant professor of educational leadership at UConn, the discussion offered insight into the ongoing fight for these courses, the disparities within accessing it and the significant role teachers play in shaping students’ understanding of race and history. The discussion touched on multiple topics, from the legislative fights for these courses to the daily challenges teachers face in the classroom.
These courses didn’t just appear, but they were fought for by student activists and teachers, according to Daisha Brabham, the director of education and public outreach at Yale University and a professor at Southern Connecticut State University, in reference to the passage of the state law in 2019 that made it mandatory for high schools to offer African American and Latino history courses.
According to the Connecticut General Assembly’s public records, the reason this course was so heavily discussed was to ensure that demographics do not determine who has access to these courses. The curriculum focuses on both content knowledge and student identity development, which panelists implied is important for all students to know.
Hannah Cooke, a research assistant at UConn’s Neag School of Education, looked into 154 Connecticut high schools to determine who has access to African American and Latino studies and who teaches it.
“We know that more than three-quarters of high schools ran the class; quarter-ish that did not run the class, [and] almost all of the responses [were due to] low enrollment,” Cooke explained.
Cooke’s research also revealed patterns about which schools are more likely to offer the course. Cooke found that schools with more diverse student populations, such as those with higher percentages of Black, Hispanic or English Language Learner students, were significantly more likely to teach the course. On the other hand, smaller schools or those with predominantly white students were less likely to offer it.
Cooke also found that students of color in predominantly white schools might need this course the most, yet they’re often the ones who miss out because there aren’t enough students or trained teachers to run it.
The role of the teacher, the panelists emphasized, was crucial to the success of these courses. Jia-Hui Stefanie Wong, an assistant professor of educational studies at Trinity College, discussed her research on urban and suburban schools, highlighting that the relationship between the teacher and their students was key.
Wong worked with five teachers across two districts monthly, one urban and one suburban, both serving predominantly students of color, ranging around 75%. One of the most significant takeaways from her research was that “it matters” who is teaching the course, according to Wong.
Wong expressed that while all the teachers recognized the importance of the course, their differing orientations impacted how it was delivered.
Throughout her research she interviewed one teacher, a Black woman, who deeply committed herself to teaching through an ethnic studies lens, centering anti-racism and communities of color. Meanwhile, in another interview Wong conducted, other teachers did not always have the same perspective or did not show the same level of enthusiasm. Wong explained that some described being assigned to teach the course more out of necessity than choice.
Brabham echoed Wong’s statement, explaining the importance of having teachers that are committed to teach essential courses like this one and creating a space where students feel comfortable exploring tough topics like racialization and generational trauma. Reflecting on their experiences, Brabham shared that in one of her classes she spoke about migration and Afro-Latina community using the Disney movie Encanto.
“Students were very happy with that but they also were very clear to voice with me that they would not have engaged with that lesson if I was not Black. So, I do think that who’s teaching it is really important and kind of recognizing the limitations that you can have,” Brabham said.
Shannon Andros, who has taught African and Latino studies at Norwich Free Academy, a semiprivate school in Connecticut, shared her own experience on this topic and in the classroom.
“Over the past several years, this topic has been de-professionalized. The fact that ethnic studies as a whole [is still] under attack, it still gives me a stomach-ache,” Andros said.
Andros said the main thing that keeps her grounded in teaching this course, despite its challenges, is the students. This course isn’t easy to teach, the panelists agreed. It touches on topics regarding decades of slavery, discrimination and more, explained the teachers on the panel.
Yet, some advice Andros received from a colleague gave her a different view on how to approach teaching the course, she recalled: “Teaching this course is about decolonizing myself, by challenging what I’ve been taught and how I teach it.”
Because of teaching these sensitive topics of the past, Shannon wants to make sure her students are included in the conversation on how they felt about the curriculum, by giving an end-of-year reflection. This helps her understand the students personally, which she hopes will help her structure her class for the following years.