Envision Equity February 2019 Special Black History Month Edition
Envision Equity February 2019 Special Black History Month Edition
Envision Equity February 2019 Special Black History Month Edition
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<strong>Envision</strong> <strong>Equity</strong> <strong>February</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
THE PILLARS OF THE<br />
<br />
HARLEM RENAISSANCE<br />
ARE WHAT THE THREE<br />
PILLARS ARE ABOUT!<br />
By John D. Marshall—Ed.D. Chief <strong>Equity</strong> Officer, Jefferson County Public Schools<br />
Dr. John Marshall<br />
I am thanking in advance the teachers, principals, and others<br />
who take well-invested time to teach a fuller curriculum that<br />
includes a more complete picture of the world and America.<br />
This special edition of <strong>Envision</strong> <strong>Equity</strong> pays homage to the<br />
artists of the Harlem Renaissance. These artists capture(d) the<br />
beauty, pain, love, mistreatment, and genius of <strong>Black</strong><br />
(American) life. Whether it be through song, sculpture, acting,<br />
writing, etc., these <strong>Black</strong> artists created memorable monuments<br />
and moments that deserve far more credit and attention than<br />
many of them receive.<br />
Coined the father of education, Carter G. Woodson said, “If a race<br />
has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a<br />
negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in<br />
danger of being exterminated.” I, for one, wholeheartedly agree<br />
with that statement. What people become is due in some part to<br />
what they know and or do not know. When a person does not know<br />
nor is shown the abundance of attributions, contributions, and<br />
institutions created, owned, and led by his or her culture, it is no<br />
surprise that in some cases he or she (un)consciously acquiesces to<br />
the saturation of a selected<br />
education that does not<br />
wholly, if at all, teach or reach<br />
the heart of the child.<br />
Mr. Woodson also said, “The mere imparting of information is<br />
not education.” Again true! Long gone (should be) are the days Dr. Carter G. Woodson<br />
of lecture, list, listen, repeat. The three Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) initiatives—called the<br />
three pillars: Backpack of Success Skills, Racial <strong>Equity</strong>, and Culture and Climate—should and could<br />
usher in a new way of not just learning but also being. We are poised to position Henry O. Tanner to<br />
abut a white artist who receives more attention only due to curricula selection. We can share the grit
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