On May 14, California and the country lost a trailblazing Latina and public servant– Gloria Molina, former Los Angeles County supervisor among many other groundbreaking roles. (Full disclosure and absolutely dating myself, I volunteered on her first campaign in 1982 when she successfully won a seat as the first Latina in California’s State Assembly.) As people remembered her ferociousness and commitment, many also commented on her deep love for quilting. She founded the East Los Angeles Stitchers, as a way of sharing her love for sewing and quilting with her community. It’s a powerful example that no one is just one thing, whether you are a public official or a working class mother trying to take care of your children. As individuals, we all have our own experiences, cultures and interests. Indeed, Gloria’s passion for quilting provides an inspiring metaphor. In case you are not familiar with the textile arts, a “quilt” is a piece of cloth made by sewing together multiple layers of fabric often in complex designs, but also in personal, autobiographical and even political forms. Think the AIDS Memorial Quilt that once draped the National Mall, or the work of Faith Ringgold, Bisa Butler or Sara Trail who founded the Social Justice Sewing Academy. You might even have one in your closet or bed made by a parent or grandparent.
The metaphor of an American “quilt” and whether we can truly create one “quilt” out of all of our different backgrounds and experiences is irresistible in this current national moment of division and polarization. Many of us are wondering if enough of us are still committed to joining and connecting these different pieces into one American fabric, or whether the pieces have grown too far apart to ever become one.
Of course, how we answer this question depends on how we start the discussion, and whether we’re starting in good faith. For example, much ink has been spilled about “Critical Race Theory,” or “CRT” - a buzzword in the news and on social media with its origins in legal scholarship and only passing relevance to the administration of our K-12 schools or what is actually taught in these classrooms. Manufactured political controversies over this “CRT” are overshadowing the “other” CRT - culturally responsive teaching. This CRT provides a better starting place for discussions about how we connect to our students and how we support our young people to develop their cognitive and critical thinking skills necessary for creating an American quilt that can last through the generations.
“Culturally responsive teaching” is an approach that considers, integrates, builds on, and reflects the backgrounds and communities of students in schools. Evidence shows that all students stand to benefit from culturally and linguistically sustaining practices– an approach that values the experiences, assets and backgrounds the students bring with them to school. Research has revealed that human beings organize the world through the lens of cultural beliefs, norms and practices–it’s how we make sense of the world. Our cultural connection to new learning enables us to focus, stay actively engaged, and consciously process new information. When learners can see themselves, their families, communities, and ways of life in the classroom in ways that are positive and meaningful, learning happens in ways that can be sustained and impactful.
From a policy perspective, we have a wonderfully diverse student body with a complex set of experiences and needs. On the other hand, we have an education system that was built on longstanding and ongoing inequities along lines of race, gender, income, and abilities. For so long our education systems have seen our students as fundamentally empty or even flawed vessels that must be force-fed knowledge or even reshaped, with little understanding or respect that our students come in with knowledge and experiences that can be assets. We can approach our students from an asset-based perspective, helping them to develop with an eye to building from the areas where they are strong.
From the perspective of educational practice, culturally responsive teaching pushes educators and adults to advance learning by working closely with families to understand their core beliefs and worldviews. At a minimum, educators should be prepared to plan and teach lessons that demonstrate respect for students’ lived experiences. This means identifying themes across cultures and valuing distinctions among them.
Scientific evidence has repeatedly shown the centrality of positive relationships and cultural inclusivity to learning. Books, videos, field trips, and curricula that reflect various cultural backgrounds send the message that these cultures are valued and helpful in learning the content. This approach builds relationships among teachers and students, and supports learning.
If we view public education as one of the connecting pieces that hold the American quilt together, then our communities must be able to see themselves and their interests within our public schools. If we seek to prepare all of our youth to access the full range of opportunities in postsecondary education, work, and life, then we must do a better job of fully engaging young people of color and those from low-income backgrounds. Our future as a country - socially, politically, economically - depends on our ability to see the value of the other CRT–helping to deliver a successful and fulfilling education for all.
At OI, we have been working on a myriad of issues related to addressing the inequities that stand in the way of building an educational system that delivers a high quality education for each and every child. OI, of course, is not alone in this effort–many of you are working on educational equity in varying and different ways. But, as quilters know all too well, more is accomplished with multiple hands working together, each of us bringing our unique perspectives and experiences to this work.