Diasporic Perspectives on Colonialism, Pan-Africanism, and the New Negro Movement are three concepts of the African diaspora and the world that should be taught to high school students. As a first-year college student, it wasn't long ago that I took a history class in high school. I know that the curriculum taught comes from the perspective of a white patriarchal society. What is missing from these curricula is perspective and recognition of significant moments in history. Diaspora perspectives on colonialism, Pan-Africanism, and the New Negro Movement are three concepts that are missing when history is taught in high schools. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Coming to Spelman College and learning about these concepts through reading African Diaspora & the World, made me realize that these are concepts and parts of history that I should have known about sooner. Why aren't these aspects of history taught to high school students? Recognizing the multiple dimensions of history in high school classrooms will encourage greater knowledge in the areas of culture, identity, intersectionality, and allow for the resolution of deeper issues such as racism and classism. Not only that, but knowing this history can boost morale and self-confidence in Black students. The opportunity to be informed about such cultural, political, and social movements could prove to be a way to increase Black unity and give Black students a better idea of who they are. All in all, awareness of these concepts can help shape more socially aware people, which will benefit society as a whole. To delve deeper into concepts that should be taught to high school students, diaspora perspectives on colonialism in Africa is a concept that should be included when teaching colonialism in general. It is important to include these perspectives because they will help examine and evaluate the long-term effects of colonialism in Africa and how this is impacting lives today. In W.E.B. DuBois “Worlds of Color,” he elaborates on the geopolitical changes and colonies in both Europe and the United States, which ultimately exploited both race and labor (DuBois). Geopolitical changes are what are taught in current high school curricula, but how these affected African colonies is lost in translation. This reading explores how unresolved issues of race relations developed as a result of the rivalries of economic imperialism. As another example of the harmful effects that Dubois was trying to explain, the quote at the beginning of Che Guevara's “Some Questions of Development” by Walter Rodney exposes the wrath of exploitation of dependent countries by developed capitalist countries. Guevara explains the nature of a capitalist system in which dependent countries face “the most abusive and brazen forms of exploitation” (Rodney). These diaspora perspectives on colonialism are important for high school students to learn. In the process, students are taught the root of the race relations problem. Problems that many students still face. Students will learn how imperialism and the exploitation of dependent countries by capitalist countries have contributed to the system we live in today. This story can help students develop a critical consciousness towards the society in which we live. Unraveling these aspects of history for students will allowthem to see the global impact of colonialism and why colonialism is related to the experiences of different types of people globally. Overall, having this knowledge can also encourage students to explore their history in more depth, exposing and reconstructing contemporary ideas about race relations. Another concept that should be taught to high school students is the Pan Africanism movement. Marcus Garvey, the center of this movement, was one of the first black leaders “in American history to capture the imagination and loyalty of the black masses, the first to profoundly stimulate their racial pride by asserting that blacks were beautiful too, that they were a strong and proud race, with their own exciting history, tradition and culture, and with an equally exciting future to be achieved through racial solidarity” (Lynch). As the "Introduction" to the philosophy and views of Marcus Garvey explains, Marcus Garvey influenced the Black Power movement and other Pan-African nationalists. “His main political objective was to wrest the continent from the tyrannical European imperialist grip and build a free, united black Africa” (Lynch). Another aspect that teaches this concept of Pan-Africanism is its impact on the Spanish Caribbean and Central America, an impact that is often overlooked as stated by Pedro R. Rivera in “Carlos A Cooks”: Dominican Garveyite in Harlem. Pan-Africanism is a concept that should be taught to high school students, especially students of color, because this concept rejects the construction of how history has defined Black people. Exposing this complexity will help reshape the views on race and society that many students face. Not only that, but for Black students, learning this can help increase diasporic consciousness and cultural confidence. Students learning about the greatness of their history, such as Marcus Garvey and the Pan-African movement, will allow them to see the greatness in themselves and critically critique the system we live in. This knowledge recognizes that the presence of people of color is prominent in movements and time periods, which will ultimately globalize the mindset of many students. Finally, this concept should be taught to high school students because it could encourage the same passion for change that Marcus Garvey or Carlos A. Cooks had. The final African Diaspora and World concept that should be taught to high school students is the New Negro Movement. The New Negro movement is significant because it testifies to the cultural presence of blacks in America. Its presence is often overlooked when analyzing the history of literature and musical movements. Within the New Negro movement were publications such as Fire!, which included short stories, poems, and artwork by black artists. Excerpts from Negritude: Black Poetry from Africa and the Caribbean were edited and translated by Norman Shapiro, a professor known for translating black Francophone drama, verse, and literature from French (Shapiro). Exposure to this aspect of the culture had beneficial influences on the black community as a whole when they were published. The language and life represented by these different media commemorated a cultural pride and value in people's lives. He also deconstructed the idea of what was considered artistic, that art didn't just come from non-black people. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay The Negro movement and other similar movements should be taught to high school students because they.
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