Elmhurst Woman 'Embarrassed' By Lack Of Historical Knowledge

Elmhurst IL

18 November, 2021

12:56 PM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — Sure, your high school history teacher informed you about the War of 1812, Manifest Destiny and the Kennedy assassination. But do you remember being told about the Tulsa race massacre, the Rosewood massacre, the Japanese American interment camps or the Stonewall riots. Maybe not. And you're not alone. During Tuesday's Elmhurst School District 205 board meeting, residents expressed their support for York High School's social studies curriculum. They said it promoted critical thinking and included the stories of those outside the mainstream culture. Resident Bridget Butterly was among those praising the school district's lessons. She said her own education in social studies was lacking. "I suppose adults should be sort of upset about what kids are learning today," Butterly said. "I know I was upset that I learned about the attack on Black Wall Street in Tulsa from a comic book show on HBO. When I recently learned about the Rosewood massacre from a true-crime podcast, I was pretty embarrassed I didn't know about these events. Things like redlining, the bias and culmination of events that led to the Stonewall riots, interment of Japanese Americans, the treatment of indigenous children, the list goes on." She continued, "While I'm pretty mad I didn't learn about things as part of my early education, I am thrilled at the outstanding teachers of this district, who are teaching a wide-ranging curriculum that encourages my kids to think critically and ask questions." She said she and others could blame parents and teachers, but they, too, received an inadequate education in social studies. That cycle is being broken, she said.