Art by Melanie Cervantes (2020)
In 1968 student protests at San Francisco State College (now SFSU) sparked a movement that would eventually reform education in California and throughout the United States. The efforts of the TWLF became the foundation of the field of Ethnic Studies, and more than 50 years later their ideas have found a place in classrooms and communities nationwide.
The 2019 adoption of AB101 legislation has made Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement course for California High Schools. As educators around the state develop or refine their course offerings, the UCBHSSP works to provide professional development opportunities for K-12 educators hoping to develop a deeper understanding of the field.
Our support in Ethnic Studies emphasizes:
The History and Foundations of Ethnic Studies
In 1968, a coalition known as the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) is formed between the Black Student Union and other student groups at San Francisco State University to lead a five month strike on campus to demand a radical shift in admissions practices that mostly excluded nonwhite students and in the curriculum regarded as irrelevant to the lives of students of color.
In 1969, a multiracial coalition of UC Berkeley students comes together and forms the third world Liberation Front (twLF) to demand that the University acknowledge the histories of communities of color as vital scholarship through the creation of a Third World College dedicated to the underemphasized histories of African Americans, Asian Americans, Chicanos/Chicanas, and Native Americans.
Useful Resources:
California AB-101 and Ethnic Studies Curriculum
In 2019 an Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum was authored in response to a grassroots demand for the expansion of Ethnic Studies in California.
The model curriculum was controversial, and a number of different advocacy groups demanded revisions. The “final” version was released in 2021, and remains controversial.
In 2021 AB101 is signed into law making California the first state to require all students to complete a semester long course in ethnic studies to earn a high school diploma.
Useful Resources:
- CA Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (2021) - Annotatable Document
- California AB 101 Legislation (2021) - Annotatable Document
Building Educator Capacity to teach Ethnic Studies
Effective Ethnic Studies teachers are able to preside over difficult conversations with students and community members about Race, Gender Identity, Social Class, Justice, Oppression, Resistance, Hope, and other similar topics. These educators also have the capacity for self-reflection, and being vulnerable around students.
UCBHSSP encourages Ethnic Studies educators at all experience levels to learn new pedagogies, and revise their practices accordingly.
Useful Resources:
-
"What is all this fuss about ethnic studies?" Sleeter, C. E., & Zavala, M. (2020) - from "Transformative ethnic studies in schools: Curriculum, pedagogy, and research"
-
An excerpt from the article “What is Ethnic Studies Pedagogy?” (2019) - from “Rethinking Ethnic Studies”
- Ethnic Studies Key Concept Categorizing Worksheet
- A Collection of Ethnic Studies FAQ Responses
Essential Theory, Concepts and Pedagogies
Effective Ethnic Studies educators ground their work in an understanding of the theory and scholarship that has informed the field. Cultivating and refining one's practices is essential to the work of serving the communities where Ethnic Studies courses are presented. The UCBHSSSP recommends these documents as a "starting point" for the ever expanding work of growing as intellectual and an educator.
Useful Resources:
- "The Four I's of Oppression" (2010) by John Bell
- "The urgency of intersectionality - TED Talk" (2016) by Kimberlé Crenshaw
- An excerpt from the article “Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth” by Tara Yosso (2005)
- An excerpt from the article “Examining Transformational Resistance Through a Critical Race and Latcrit Theory Framework : Chicana and Chicano Students in an Urban Context” by Daniel G Solorzano and Dolores Delgado Bernal (2001)
To learn more about what UCBHSSP has to offer in support of Ethnic Studies in your school, please contact