Dr. Kim Butler, who leads Rutgers’s Africana Studies program, says that while we usually teach history and social studies in discreet, testable units, events are complex and interconnected. Slavery throughout the Americas was central to the development of capitalism. Dr. Butler describes how working class students often can’t choose a liberal arts education because they have to focus on getting jobs.
Overview
00:00-00:50 Intros
00:50-05:23 What Africana Studies is
05:23-07:28 Relationship of slavery and capitalism
07:28-10:47 Why all students should take Africana Studies
10:47-14:21 How high schools could do a better job of teaching about the African diaspora
14:21-18:30 Learning about the Western Hemisphere
18:30-22:22 Importance of learning writing skills
22:22-25:57 Impact of “teaching to the test”
25:57-27:39 “Teaching to the test” v. a freer engagement with new ideas
27:39-34:49 Liberal arts education and workforce development
34:49-36:49 Potential impact of Movement for Black Lives on students
36:49-37:57 Critical importance of educators
37:57-39:45 Outro
Transcription
Click here to see the full transcript of this interview.
Credits
Soundtrack by Podington Bear
Image from richmond.edu