Teach Reconstruction
Making the News
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Reconstruction is one of the most important, yet least taught, eras in U.S. history.
Our report, released a year ago, has received widespread national media coverage, including in TIME, Education Week, The 74, and most recently in Teen Vogue.
These stories raise awareness about the need to devote more time and resources to the era.
Increase the impact.
Read and share the stories below.
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The Reconstruction Era Is Not Taught Well in U.S. Schools — Here’s Why That Matters
Teen Vogue
By Catherine Caruso
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According to the Zinn report, state standards and history curricula nationwide fail to “teach a sufficiently complex and comprehensive history of Reconstruction.” Instead, students are often taught an inaccurate and racist depiction of the time. | |
“The Dunning School peddled in this ‘lost cause’ narrative that made the South seem like a noble cause, as if they were fighting for tradition rather than fighting to maintain human bondage. And that, unfortunately, is a narrative that weaved itself into corporate textbooks all over the country throughout U.S. history.” — Jesse Hagopian | |
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Prentiss Charney Fellow
Spotlight
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Our Prentiss Charney Fellowship offers support for a cohort of people’s history educator leaders to study, learn, and organize together. Today we celebrate Jessica A. Rucker, a doctoral student in the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. | |
Ra’mya Davis, Dr. Frank Smith, and Jessica Rucker | |
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Prior to her graduate work, Jessica was a high school teacher in her home city, the U.S. colony of Washington, D.C., teaching courses centering African American history and culture. She has also served as a volunteer docent at both the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History. Jessica was the MC for the D.C. 2022 Teach Truth Day of Action, and has hosted several Zinn Education Project Teach the Black Freedom Struggle online classes — on SNCC, the history of Juneteenth, and the Civil Rights Movement before the Civil War.
ZEP is excited to welcome back Jessica to the host chair on March 20th for a conversation with Dr. Kidada E. Williams about her new book, I Saw Death Coming. Two weeks later, on April 3rd, Jessica will lead a workshop for educators seeking to incorporate Dr. Williams’ scholarship and insights into their curricula.
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Panel Discussion
March 1, 7pm ET
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How do we build the schools, classrooms, and learning communities that every student needs and deserves? What role do teachers play in creating these conditions and possibilities?
Continuing the conversation among teachers and students, which we began in the January 2023 webinar Beyond “Schools in Crisis,” this discussion brings together educators, students, and community organizers to examine the realities we face in our schools. In this webinar, we will ask: Where do we go from here? We’ll explore not only the possibilities we dream of, but those that already exist in our classrooms, our schools, and our communities.
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Film Viewing
March 8, 6:30 pm ET
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Join us on International Women’s Day to view the documentary The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. The free screening will be hosted by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Share My Lesson and the Zinn Education Project. The film will be hosted online with the opportunity to chat with educators across the country as you view the film. | |
Teachers are under attack for teaching truthfully about U.S. history. Please donate so that we can continue to offer free people’s history lessons and resources, and defend teachers’ right to use them. | | | | |
