The Shakerite VOL 91 ISSUE I

World gives students a more global perspective,
but it has a reputation of being more difficult than
AP European History, which focuses on the same
Eurocentric history taught throughout students’
entire school career. However, AP World History
-- the one AP course that includes non-white history
-- is not being offered at the high school for the
2021-22 school year. According to AP World History
teacher Amanda Ersek, the decision was made
to limit the number of unique courses teachers will
have to prepare for next year.
In addition to those classes, juniors and seniors
can choose to take a Black history class at the high
school taught through Kenyon College. This class,
taught by Jessica O’Brien, addresses parts of Black
history that are vital to the American story but are
often left out of traditional history classes. Students
learn about the true horrors of slavery and
the middle passage, the rise of the KKK and the
response to it, the Tuskegee Experiment and other
injustices in the Black community throughout
our history. Students are also taught about Black
accomplishment throughout the course.
KAP African-American history, however, is a
college class that requires writing, reading and discussion.
This doesn’t suit the needs of all students,
and the knowledge that the class will come with
more work than other history classes deters some
students from enrolling.
Shaker is special. We have been noticed nationally
for our amazing and diverse community.
We have been called out when we have hurt Black
students and fallen short of equity, and we have
been celebrated for striving toward equity. But we
need more.
Education is the first step to an antiracist
society. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to begin to
eliminate these unconscious biases when creating
groups or fast-tracking students might be to include
more comprehensive guidelines for teachers.
It is all too common that English classes reading
literature stumble across the n-word or another
derogatory term. Some teachers read these words
aloud; others don’t. It is entirely unclear, then, for
a student to know how to handle such terms when
reading aloud in class, and, of course, students who
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VOL. 91 ISSUE I