The author argues that... it is necessary to teach about the historic racist political processes like redlining to students so they have a better understanding that where they live now is still a result of an intentional design to exclude people of color.
Three Talking Points:
Beginning: The author of this article, found in Volume 39, No. 1, "Teaching about Redining", opens up with saying that because schools have a lack of insight on the policies that shape them due to redlining that "especially white students, live with an incomplete and distorted history of their racialized experience." The fact of the matter is many racist policies across every metropolitan area in the US during the 1930's and 40's were designed to exclude nonwhite people from receiving loans from the bank to purchase property in areas of the city designated as "desirable", thus only restricted to live in "red zones." Although these policies are no longer in tact, I would agree with the author that if students are not educated on this history, they are not being challenged to think that segregation policies still permeate society.
Middle: The author then explains the process of which he instructed his students on this topic. One thing to mention here that is super noteworthy was the usage of interactive maps to allow students to connect the historic makeup of their neighborhood to what it looks like now. They were able to use interactive map that allowed them to see racial demographics and where they settled a hundred years ago up to now. The discovery of the south of the city becoming a larger black population over the years whereas all other areas of the city became whiter allowed the teacher to explain the process of gentrification. The visualization of their communities through interactive maps allowed for a better understanding of the issue at hand and was a super good teacher tool in this case!
End: I really appreciated how the author of the article also taught his students how to use census trackers to look up the racial demographics in their neighborhoods. He live modeled to the class how to isolate the race feature to see racial demographics in the zip code of their school. I really think this lesson had every student learn more about their racial identity and geographic location are intertwined. White students in his class found their class to be diverse, since the proportion of students of color in the class was higher than what was representative of the zip code. However, students of color did not find the class to be diverse since they were still the minority and live in much larger neighborhoods. The lesson was very culturally relevant and allowed students to have a better understanding of their identity and community and did so through multiple modes of engagement.
Connection/Reflection:
This article caught my attention because I studied geography in undergrad, and I especially did lots of research on how marginalized communities are negatively affected by urban planning. One of my largest projects I contributed to in undergrad was for my capstone project in geography where I researched the effect of gentrification on historic black churches in Washington, DC, as many of them in the past thirty years have had to close their doors due to urban policies that have prevented black people to attend the churches due to gentrification. As part of the research, I worked on an interactive map for the organization Mapping Segregation, which has lots of different interactive maps that depict aspects of racial segregation in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, it appears many of the maps are offline and unable to be viewed currently as they are being repaired by the organization. However, this was a super cool opportunity to learn more about how racist policies like redlining and gentrification still have long withstanding holds on marginalized communities today.
As someone who really cares about geography and inspiring my students to care about their communities, this article really made me recognize that there are more creative ways I could make geography more interactive within the classroom so that my students gain understanding around the world around them. I feel like geography is not prioritized in the American education system, which is so unfortunate because I find it to be one of the discplines that can be super connective to student personal experience! This connects to the documentary we watched in class, Precious Knowledge, because the teachers explicitly teaching ethnic studies to the students had a huge impact on igniting passion on figuring out more about their identity. I find geography to be super similar in this manner.
Hi Michele! I almost chose this article as well! My bachelor's is in Sociology and one of the first things many students learn is redlining. It helps students visually understand the issues at hand versus telling students to read and understand laws they may not comprehend. I totally agree with Geography not being taken seriously in schools. Personally, I learned geography in 7th grade and held on to whatever I could remember until high school history where my teacher specifically made us do world geography quizzes every month, but we never talk about American Geography and getting deep into why cities are in certain areas, why suburbs exist, or ghost towns.
ReplyDeleteYour connection to geography really stood out to me, especially the work you did with mapping segregation in Washington, DC. That kind of hands-on experience makes it clear how policies like redlining are not just abstract ideas, but things that have had real, lasting impacts on communities. It also makes your point about geography being overlooked in schools feel even more important, because it’s such a powerful way for students to understand their own surroundings.
ReplyDeleteI also kept thinking about the classroom example you described with students interpreting diversity differently. That moment says a lot about how students experience the same space in completely different ways depending on their background. It shows why lessons like this matter, because they push students to question assumptions they might not even realize they have.
The use of interactive maps in the lesson sounded like a really effective approach too. Being able to actually see how neighborhoods have changed over time probably makes the history stick in a way a textbook never could. It connects really well to your main point that students need to understand how the past shapes where they live now. Your post makes a strong case that teaching about redlining is not just about history, but about helping students make sense of the present.
Hey Michele,
ReplyDeleteI thought your post was great, especially how you made redlining sound clear and real. I thought it was interesting that students, especially white students, could grow up not knowing everything about their own communities. It made me think about how much of what we see every day seems "normal," even though it was made that way.
I also liked how you talked about how the lesson used interactive maps. That part was powerful because it turned something that could have felt far away or historical into something personal. Seeing your own neighborhood and how it has changed over time makes the problem hit home in a different way. It's not just history anymore; students can relate to it in their own lives.
Your personal touch really made a difference too. It sounds like the work you did to map out segregation and look at how gentrification affects Black churches was very important. It shows that these policies are still affecting communities today and aren't just things from the past. That part made everything seem even more real.
I also liked how you linked this to Precious Knowledge. That made a lot of sense, especially the part about how learning about their identity and community can actually make students more interested and give them a sense of purpose. I agree that geography doesn't get enough attention in schools, and it really can do that.
In general, your post made me think more about how important it is for students to understand the "why" of where they live, not just take it for granted.
I really enjoyed reading your reflection. Your background in geography adds a valid perspective to the article. The connection you made between urban planning, gentrification, and its real impact on communities was really eye-opening. I also thought it was great how you tied this into your future teaching, especially your focus on making geography more interactive and relevant for students.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele! Thanks for sharing your reflection on this article. I love the creative ways teachers in the publication are stepping out of the box to break the barriers in education. I agree that using the interactive maps to teach students about the historic makeup. Personally, I was quite oblivious to redlining until we started moving around the east coast with school aged children. I'm glad you're able to share your passion about geography and apply it in your classroom.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle! Thank you for sharing your reflection and insights on this article. Your background in geography adds a great perspective to be applied to this matter!
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