Empowering Histories: A Vision for Inclusive Classrooms

Antiracist APUSH began as an effort to make AP U.S. History more truthful and inclusive by connecting the world of modern historical scholarship to high school classrooms. That work has been well received and has broadened its scope over the last few years. Today, I am excited to announce that Antiracist APUSH will now be called Empowering Histories.

The Antiracist APUSH project began in 2017 while I was completing my graduate research in the field of Black political history. It was clear that I needed to update the classroom material I was providing to my own AP U.S. History students. A shameful gap still exists between what professional historians have proven and what gets printed in state standards regarding issues of race, slavery, and injustice. The gap between the truth and the curriculum is unacceptable.

In 2019, I was encouraged to expand my mission to support other teachers in this work. The primary objective was to help students identify and confront the racist policies that have contributed to racial disparities in American society. By exposing students to the research of leading historians, they gain a more complete understanding of the injustices embedded in American institutions. As educators, we bear the crucial responsibility of confronting racism and its legacies, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued in our narrative of the past.

In 2023, my experience as a pilot teacher for the new AP African American Studies course prompted an expansion of the materials offered on this website. It became clear that the original name no longer captured the full breadth of our mission. This idea emerged from a powerful moment at a recent Michigan Department of Education Board meeting. I was asked to bring some of my students to discuss our antiracist approach to U.S. History and our experiences in the AP African American Studies pilot. As my students took the stage, their focus was more expansive than just confronting racism. They took their moment in the spotlight to celebrate empowerment. One of my senior leaders articulated this perfectly, stating, “When you finally learn your history, you are truly liberated…this encapsulates how I truly feel about taking the AP African American Studies class.”

This new name better reflects the essence of our mission: it goes beyond simply “calling out” or addressing racist language and myths; it’s about "calling people in" and providing a more honest and accurate context for our society that is necessary for meaningful change. This work goes beyond revising racist history books; it is more than academic. It’s about reshaping how we interact in the world and engage with our communities. There’s so much at stake—this work touches on our humanity and our capacity to assist in ushering in a more equitable society. “Empowering Histories” represents an open invitation to all of our students to be a part of this process.

The name “Empowering Histories” also reflects our commitment to inspire appreciation for the resilience, creativity, and contributions of diverse communities throughout our history. This makes history education more engaging and meaningful for every learner. A student encapsulated this perfectly during a recent Socratic seminar on the Middle Passage when describing the emotion she felt during a silent gallery walk focused on the Middle Passage and artists' attempts to reclaim the imagery, memory, and emotion of tragedy. The word she chose to describe her reaction was powerful. She explained it this way, “I couldn’t stop thinking about how this had to be one of the most intense efforts to try and take away people’s humanity, but it still didn’t work. No matter what the enslavers tried to do to turn humans into objects, it didn’t work. They found ways to keep their culture and made a new one by surviving and blending their cultures together, and that is my culture, and it makes me feel like I can do anything.”

Empowering Histories is about so much more than just dispelling misconceptions about the past. When students are “called in,” they also become equipped with the knowledge and confidence to recognize their agency as change-makers in their communities. Through this work, we invite all students into the vision and mandate of Langston Hughes: “Oh, let America be America again, the land that has never been yet, and yet must be, the land where everyone is free.”

Continuing the Work:

Despite the name change, the core mission of the website remains the same: to provide high-quality, research-based educational resources that help teachers and students confront and understand the complexities of history. The site will continue to offer print-ready lessons, plans, answer keys, and slides that make teaching diverse histories effective and impactful.

The purpose of Empowering Histories is to engage students in the pursuit of a more equitable future, encouraging them to be part of the generation that brings this country closer to its originally stated founding values. This is accomplished by providing materials that enhance teachers' confidence in delivering instruction and creating spaces for reflection and dialogue that build stronger, more informed communities. Through this work, we strive for an inclusive America where everyone is empowered to realize their potential and free to thrive.

STEPS TO CREATE AN EMPOWERING AND ANTIRACIST HISTORY CLASS 

#1 Acknowledge that race is not real, but racism is. Recognize that while race lacks a biological basis, racist policies have profoundly shaped the development of American institutions and continue to impact society.

#2 Identify and challenge discriminatory policies. Address the structures that perpetuate racism and challenge history textbooks and state standards that do not accurately reflect the influence of racist policies. 

#3 Celebrate the resilience and contributions of diverse communities. Create an inclusive environment that values and elevates all voices, affirming students' identities and experiences.

#4 Maintain high expectations for all students. A quality education is a civil right. Appreciate different communication styles and forms of expression. 

#5 Empower students to be change makers.  Encourage critical thinking, reflection, and open dialogue about race, history, and justice. This is the foundation necessary to sustain our democracy and modern civilization. Help students realize their agency in creating a more equitable and perfect union, one where everyone is free, not just to survive, but to thrive. 

Reflections on Teaching AP African American Studies: Year #1

I just finished my first year teaching the AP African American Studies pilot course. This course is fantastic! African American studies should be required for every student in the country.  This is not a radical idea, it is rooted in reason and practicality because, as historian Dr. Leonard Moore states, “we are never going to achieve racial healing or reconciliation without proper undertaking of the Black struggle and White Americans have been allowed to avoid learning Black history for far too long.”

There is certainly a lot of outside noise surrounding the AP African American Studies course, from the absurd decision from Florida to ban the class outright to critiques on the left about not including every source each scholar finds to be essential. However,  ask any teacher involved in pilot year 1 or 2, you hear the same report over and over again: this class is empowering and beautiful. I don’t know if I have ever been so proud as when my own students described their experiences at a  Michigan Board of Education meeting this spring. One of my senior leaders said this to the room of educational decision-makers in our state: 

‘When you finally learn your history, you are truly liberated…this encapsulates how I truly feel about taking the AP African American Studies class.”

Again and again, not only my students, but students across the country are describing that this course is empowering them to see themselves as stakeholders in their community. We were the only school on our side of the state to offer the course this year leading to several media requests. My students were more than willing to describe their experiences. My students described that they went home and discussed lessons from this class with parents and relatives in a way that they hadn’t since elementary school.  One of my favorite quotes came after a reporter asked one of my students about the controversy surrounding this class. “Skip the haters…it a fun experience and actually makes you want to learn more about your culture.” My students also suggested that it should be a required course along with U.S. and World History. 

Antiracist APUSH Support of New AP African American Studies Teachers

All new teachers of AP subjects are hungry for resources, and since this course is new, there are not nearly as many resources in comparison to AP US History and AP World History for example.  I plan to share my lessons for free on antiracistapush.com and will continue to upload my most effective lessons from the past year. The first lessons I plan to share are from Unit 1 on early African Civilizations

More Resource Ideas

The College Board is also very supportive of teachers of this course. The course is structured around required sources that were selected leaders in the field of African American studies. This takes all the guesswork out of selecting the right sources for class lessons. The Essential Knowledge standards are also much more explicit than the AP US or World History standards. This provides teachers with the course objectives that they need to do the job effectively.  During the pilot, there was no AP African American AP Classroom but I look forward to what we will find there this upcoming year. I also suggest that you join the AP African American Studies Teacher Facebook page.  

History education is an essential component of the formation of a more just society. AP African American Studies truly empowers students. Our society needs it and our students deserve it.

The National History Teacher of the Year Award & Normalizing Antiracism in History Classrooms

It was a great honor to be presented with the Gilder Lehrman National History Teaching of the Year award in New York City this past week. I hope that this award serves to validate and normalize an antiracist approach to U.S. history class.

Award reception in New York, along with Dr. James Basker, President of the Gilder Lehrman Institute, Deborah Roberts of ABC, and members of the Gilder Lehrman Student Advisory Council.



We must stare into the past without flinching.  We must recognize the power of the tools that this country's founding values provide; while also acknowledging the ways we have failed to live up to them. Our job is to support our students as they discover and strengthen their voices and prepare them to show up to all the places where decisions are made. When they engage, informed, and empowered, our country will be better for it. 

An antiracist history class empowers students by disrupting assumptions about what is possible. The approach should no longer be seen as controversial. It is supported by historians and leaders in history education because it is based on the biological and historical fact that while race is not real, racism has polluted the development of every major institution in American life.  That America's beautiful founding ideals were shackled to belief in racial mythology, is, as Dr. Barbara Fields puts it,  “America’s tragic flaw”. 

Students come into US history class, already with a lot of knowledge and experience about our current society.  They see whose culture, whose values, whose beauty standards, whose liberty, and whose lives seem to matter most. If we imply that all of this is a natural outcome of market forces in a perfectly free society, we insult them.  We insult their families, their cultures, and their humanity. And when we lie to them, they know it. So they protect themselves, and naturally, walls go up. 

However, when we empower students to become historical investigators, by broadening access to a wider pool of primary sources, we have a chance for a much greater outcome. 

I was honored to work with curators at the Grand Rapids Public Museum to create a series of lessons about Jim Crow in our own midwestern city. Local history is that much more relevant and powerful. I wish everyone could experience the power of a true a-ha moment in an antiracist US history class. Yes, there's anger, that's healthy processing, but there's relief and validation with the understanding that things didn’t have to be this way. When a student discovers the proof that it's not their neighborhood's fault, it's not for lack of creativity or passion, hard work or brilliance that their neighborhood lacks the resources of the neighborhood across the highway, or even across the street. This was planned. And the people of their neighborhood were not asked to be a part of that planning. 

This leads to the necessary question, What if? What if voters in our city had actually dedicated themselves to the 14th Amendment as they had promised? What could our city and our nation have looked like today? Through this activity, we can begin to imagine the possibilities of what we want the future of our communities to look like.  History class is the place where we can empower students by inviting them to participate in Langston Hugh’s powerful and determined vision:

O, let America be America again—

The land that never has been yet—

And yet must be—the land where every man is free.

An Empowering Summer: Teaching Black History, Honors, SAQ tips, and new Resources

I’ve rarely felt this excited to start a new school year. Despite headlines, I have experienced more enthusiasm about teaching truthful American History than I have ever seen before! Those that grab media attention by trying to stop the empowering work of teaching and learning about Black History do so in vain. They are a fledgling minority in the world of education and after this summer, I have new hope and drive to continue this work.

This summer, I attended the single greatest educational conference that has ever existed. It started with a moving sing along of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” followed immediately by a second sing along to Juvenile’s “Back that Azz Up.” Dr. LeGarrett King’s Teaching Black History Conference in Buffalo, NY is a can’t miss event. The conference was full of brilliant ideas from inspiring educators on how to center Black history, Black joy, and the power of using hip hop in your curriculum. One of the many standout sessions I attended was hosted by Philadelphia educator, Abigail Henry. Ms. Henry’s session was about a lesson she had created about policing policy through the story of rapper Meek Mill. Students will love this lesson. It ends with a thoughtful and powerful discussion weighing the pros and cons of different ideas for police reform. I plan on using it after period 9 wraps up in the spring. It is worth it to check out other resources from Henry! She was gracious enough to share the Meek Mill lesson for free. Henry also wrote a great summary of the conference which celebrated Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary. I highly recommend checking out the conference next summer.  (There is a virtual attendance option as well!)

This summer, I also attended a College Board APSI for my new venture into AP African American Studies. My school was granted a slot for pilot “round 2” before the course is fully launched next fall. There is so much energy and excitement surrounding this launch. I was able to speak with a few educators who were a part of the initial launch last year. These are among the most passionate and creative people that I have been able to interact with in our profession. I know there has been much debate surrounding this course, but I think this is an absolutely fantastic class and I can’t wait to dive in. I encourage everyone to start building enthusiasm for the course in your building! It will be open and available to all schools next year and there will be tons of curriculum ready for you to get started. Throughout the course of this year, I will be working on updating a few Antiracist APUSH lessons and making a second version of them that will fit the standards required for AP African American Studies course. 

Also this summer, I was honored to be named Michigan's “History Teacher of the Year” by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This recognition is very meaningful as it comes from the leaders in our field. Surely, there is a lot of criticism for educators who teach the truth about systematic racism. However, this honor showed me that we can take heart when facing a skeptical school board or administration. The work we are doing in teaching truth and critically examining College Board curriculum and APUSH textbooks is on the side of authentic history and we have full backing of actual historians that cheer on our important work. Why do we teach the lessons that we do? Because we are HISTORY teachers so we teach history! 

Finally, (Here come the resources) I also had another great experience at the College Board reading again this summer. I was on SAQ duty and was reminded once again that the SAQ is a skill that needs to be taught just like we scaffold the other essays. My biggest advice after reading thousands of SAQs in June:

  1. Have students repeat the prompt. It sounds so simple and too formulaic but after 8+ days of reading, I experienced again and again that this practice grounded students and helped frame their chosen evidence in a way that was more likely to earn the point.

  2. Practice identifying secondary source claims more than you think! Sometimes, I move past this too quickly to focus on more difficult skills but students really struggled with this simple concept. I will be adding more secondary source reading to my course this year and I’ll upload it to Antiracist APUSH. Here is a new one with an SAQ that I made after this year's read (5.10, Reconstruction, Secondary Source from Lerone Bennett Jr.)

More Important Than Your AP Score Average: Does your classroom look like the hallways?

This year, my AP exam average was lower than it has been in previous years. I also consider this my most successful year yet. Let me explain why.

The AP score report presents a dangerous temptation. Early in my career, I fell for it. I boiled down everything I did for a year into an average score and a passing rate. I’m very competitive and I put a lot of energy into strategizing for those numbers to increase. I have a more important goal now: to make the benefits of AP credit accessible to more people in my community.  

As educators committed to antiracism and closing opportunity gaps in American education, we must be wary of our approach to viewing our AP test score reports. The College Board provides us with data that allows us to compare our students' performance to state and national scores, but they fail to break down national scores by race. This omission is problematic. 

Your score report does not explain that while 47% of high school students in the US are White and 15% are Black, White students are overrepresented in the group of students who take an AP exam, whereas Black students are significantly underrepresented in the group (at only 7.8%). Additionally and also not printed on your score report, 59% of White students passed the APUSH exam in 2022 with a score of 3 or higher, compared to only 34% of Black students who took the APUSH exam. 

There are roughly three times as many White students than there are Black students in the United States; however, there are 15 times more White students who passed the AP US History exam. If our society dolls out privilege by “color blind” AP US History statistics, racial inequality and the gap in the access to higher education would increase. The raw data would lead many in our society to conclude that White students have “earned” a disproportionate amount (15 times more) of the scholarships, college credit, and access to prestigious institutions than their Black peers. 

We, as AP US History teachers, fully understand when researchers explain that this gap in standardized test achievement is rooted in generations of exclusionary policies in housing, education, and economics. Ignoring race and the historical context of America when interpreting AP test scores reinforces and even legitimized racial disparities.

By solely focusing on APUSH scores without considering race, we not only fail to disrupt racial inequalities, taking a naive color blind approach to AP US History test results will exacerbate our nation’s opportunity gap. There is a history of using “color blind” standardized test data to preserve and justify Jim Crown. For example, Southern universities who were trying to preserve segregation only began to rely on SAT scores after Brown v. Board as a way to justify white supremacy in their institutions. If you haven’t read Dr. Leonard Moore’s fantastic book about teaching Black studies, check it out! He includes a description of this practice at the University of Texas in the 1960s. 

True Metrics of Success that are Not Found in Your Score Reports: Does Your AP Classroom Look Like Your Hallways?

The most valuable piece of advice I received about being an AP teacher came from Nate Bowling, a former Washington Teacher of the Year and AP Government legend, he said, “ if our main focus is on our AP score average, we will perpetuate racial inequity.” Instead, our main goal should be to ensure that our AP classrooms reflect the racial diversity of our schools. Prioritizing average scores can lead to subtle biased decision-making during enrollment, recruitment, and AP test registration, which will ultimately hinder efforts to disrupt racial inequity.

Imagine if the College Board provided data on the percentage of Black and Brown students in your school who enrolled in and passed AP History classes. At East Kentwood High School, the 7th most diverse district in the US, we have taken up Nate Bowling's challenge. We have removed barriers to AP History courses, implemented an inclusive invitation plan and have also worked hard to ensure cultural relevance in our courses. We advertise the benefits of AP to our entire community, specifically seeking out students who would be the first in their family to take an AP course. It has taken a few years, but our AP History classes now reflect our community's diversity. Not only have we seen a 300% increase in Black enrollment in AP History courses, but the scores of Black students in our community have surpassed national averages.

While I continue to use and analyze AP score reports to improve and better serve my students, measuring success as antiracist teachers must extend far beyond AP score averages.

Do you track this data at your school? Why or why not? I would love to hear your thoughts.                                       

Partnership with the Immigrant History Initiative

I am very excited to announce a partnership between Antiracist APUSH and the Immigrant History Initiative.  

The Immigrant History Initiative was founded by Julia Chang Wang and Kathy Lu, two Yale Law School graduates. As children of immigrants, they grew up knowing next to nothing about their own heritage in the United States. The recent resurgence of overt political xenophobia prompted them to think deeply about the importance of immigration in shaping our nation. They started their program to celebrate and highlight the centrality of immigrant experiences to the American identity. They created a curriculum designed for an after-school enrichment program for high school students. Their specific legal expertise led to the compilation of some very exciting materials that our APUSH students could really benefit from. 

Antiracist APUSH will adopt some of their content to fit with the target skills and key objectives of the College Board’s AP Curriculum.  Lessons for Periods 6 through 8 will be available in January, 2021. 

Closing the Opportunity Gap in AP History

The opportunity gap for white and black students in AP classes is shrinking, but it still exists.  12.7% of Americans are black, yet less than 9% of students who take AP exams are black. I love teaching AP history, I believe it offers an excellent educational opportunity to students. However, until black students make up at least 12.7% of test takes, the AP program, and AP teachers are perpetuating the widening of America’s opportunity gap.  I had the opportunity to hear Nate Bowling, an expert AP Government teacher speak on this issue. Simply put, “if our classrooms don’t look like our hallways, we are perpetuating racial inequality.” We must stop limiting access to our AP classes and we must explicitly invite students of color to register for AP classes. Nate Bowling also says that if our main focus is on our AP score average, we are perpetuating racial inequity.  It is far better for our community to have 100 students exposed to AP rigor and only have a passing rate of 30%, than having a passing rate of 100% for a class size of 30.  Once we have invited all students to participate in AP, we must then ensure a safe, welcoming, relevant class for all students.

At East Kentwood, our AP opportunity gap is shrinking. These are the strategies that are working :

STEPS TO SHRINK THE AP OPPORTUNITY GAP

1. Explicitly invite students of color to enroll IN AP COURSEs

2. Remove prerequisites for AP History

3. Inform students early about AP opportunities & benefits

4. Eliminate summer work 

5. Create a welcoming environment*

*This means creating a safe place for class discussions that elevates the opinions of students of color and also prioritizing the use of class content that is welcoming to all students: If your course content is based on the latest research of actual historians, your class will be on the right track to pursuing antiracist history. 

Also, a test every history teacher should conduct in their classroom: If there are more images of human-traffickers on the wall than there are images of people of color, the classroom is not welcoming.

Our APUSH invitation table at Open House