SPEAKER_01 0:00

Um it's important that before we teach our students about the slave trade, that we teach our students who the Africans were, how the Africans lived, and what the Africans contributed to America. Hi, my name is Miss Ayres. I am certified an elementary school teacher for 15 years here in the state of Virginia and a 20-year Navy war veteran. Welcome to my new classroom, Dr. King's class. I became an educational activist and started this podcast with just one mission, to add African contributions to the elementary social studies curriculum. In Dr. King's class, we infuse African contributions during our students' Foundation of America lesson. When we introduce our students to the Greek culture and the Roman culture, in this class, we also introduce our students to the African culture, who the Africans were, how the Africans lived, and what the Africans contributed to America. I created this podcast because when I was in elementary school, my teacher infused African contributions into his lesson plan. And it made a difference in my life then because I decided to become an educator, and it made a difference in my life now as a public school teacher and now an educational activist. In 2004, after I completed 20 years in uniform, I returned to Virginia because I knew I was becoming a public school teacher. And as I was preparing for a social studies lesson, I was doing the research on the Greek culture and the Roman culture, and it was then that I realized African contributions had been omitted from the elementary social studies curriculum. I was disappointed because I know the importance of laying the foundation early in our students' elementary experience. During the foundation of our students' learning. So in 2020, when COVID closed down in-person learning in the public classroom, that was when I started preparing for a new type of classroom, Dr. King's class. And our mission is to petition the Board of Education, petition your local government official to add African contributions, to infuse African contributions into the elementary social studies curriculum. Because social studies is one curriculum that's routinely updated, depending on the needs of the parents and local community. The first life-changing experience is when I first, when I first saw a slave in class in my history book. How the Africans lived and all the things that the Africans contributed to America. Not just who the slaves were, but who the Africans were before the slave trade, before the slave trade. The current social studies is lacking connection. And you know, the students learn about this the slave trade and then they jump into the civil rights without teaching them who the Africans were that was forced into slavery. And the success of our country depends on the success in education. And until we start teaching the truth to our students, until we start teaching our students that Africa was a thriving civilization before the slave trade, we are lying to our students. We're lying by omission. Until we start teaching our students the truth about the African contributions, we are killing our students in the classroom, killing their potential. And infusing African contributions into the social studies curriculum, we're not talking about uh deconstructing the current system or rebuilding the current system, but we're advocating the King's classroom is advocating infusing African contributions into the elementary social studies curriculum. When our students start learning about the Greeks and the Roman culture, they should also be introduced to the African culture. Today I'm going to, our story includes four young ladies from the middle school on a field trip to the African American Museum in Washington, DC. These middle school students were taken on a field trip by their principal, Principal Greason. And these students had another life-changing experience. They learned about the rich culture from African people. They didn't know about the artists and the creators and the inventors and the entrepreneurs and the actors. When they learned of this truth, they vowed that they would go back to their communities and advocate that every student in their school have that same life-changing experience, learning who the Africans were before they were forced into slavery.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

If you have a system that is flawed, you'll never know that your system is flawed if you don't ask the people that are actually in the system to get feedback. Your current core belief is that every child succeeds, but as a realm, that's not true. So in the spirit of DPS's core value collaboration, DMOK's Waxton Alliance looks forward to helping you help teachers grow into educators that will thrive and not merely survive in their culturally relevant classrooms. Please believe in our success and not not only in school but throughout life.

SPEAKER_04 8:20

Students is so important in putting the students first within the education system. I actually had students that have had a look at the curriculum after I was able to rewrite it. And then student conversation has become a part of my classroom.

SPEAKER_05 8:35

As my students know, um I love to create a space in my classroom for constructive and creative dialogue. Find that some of my best moments teaching are the ones that are student-led. This year, in response to taking students taking the lead, our students taking the lead and sharing their concerns, um, we've reflected. Um, we've adopted changes to the curriculum to ensure that African American history is United States history.

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Students are ready for the truth. Our students are ready for honesty in the classroom. Our students are ready for a balanced curriculum, one that tells the truth. We must understand what it is that our students need, and we must be there to support their needs. They're starting to hold districts and uh educators accountable for teaching the truth in the classroom. These middle school students as their principal. You are an educator, and you're a black woman. Why hadn't you advocated for a more balanced curriculum? We have a problem in public education, and the social studies curriculum is fragmented. We can't start teaching history starting with the slave trade. So we need everyone to be a part of this movement for change. Black America, white America, uncles, aunties, young and old, support the next generation. We can fix this problem. This problem has a solution. Petition your board of education. Demand that African contributions be infused into the African into the elementary social studies curriculum. And let's create a lesson plan that even Dr. King would be proud of. Support Dr. King's classroom, where the curriculum is more balanced. Balanced curriculum by adding the missing piece. And that missing piece is African contribution. Everyone benefits when we tell the truth in the classroom. And the truth is Africa was a thriving civilization before the slave trade. And when we teach this truth, the students benefit. The teachers benefit in this world. And I'll leave you with one of Dr. Martin Luther King's quotes. Take the first step in faith. You do not have to see the whole staircase, but just take the first step. I'll see you next time. Class Dismissed.