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Dear Rethinking Schools friends,
Did you see the news last week? On Friday, we learned that our book
Rethinking Columbus was banned — along with other books used in
Tucson's Mexican American Studies program, including Paulo Freire's
A Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Rodolfo Acuña's Occupied America, and
Elizabeth Martinez's 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures. So
we're in good company.
School authorities confiscated the books during class—boxed them up
and hauled them off. As one student said, "We were in shock ... It
was very heartbreaking to see that happening in the middle of class."
This is the latest chapter in the rightwing attempt to ban ethnic
studies in Arizona. Last week, facing the loss of $15 million in
state support, the governing board of Tucson's schools voted 4-1 to
terminate the popular and successful Mexican American Studies program.
On Friday, I spoke to the Tucson school district's director of
communications, who told me that the books had to be seized and
carted away, because they were "evidence"—as if the teaching going
on there were a crime scene. On Tuesday, the district protested
that no books had been "banned"—although district officials
admitted that they had been "boxed and stored" and could not be
used in class. Sounds like "banning" to me.
Rethinking Schools is talking with teachers, students, and
activists in Tucson about how we can help their struggle there. We
will let you know as we gather ideas.
Do you have ideas to express support for Tucson teachers and
students, and to organize opposition to Arizona's banning of
Mexican American Studies and Tucson's confiscation of books in
their curriculum? Please post ideas to the Rethinking Schools
facebook page, or if you're not on facebook, e-mail me.
We'll follow up soon.
For more information, check out Jeff Biggers' Salon.com article,
"Who's Afraid of 'The Tempest'?" Debbie Reese's, "Teaching Critical
Thinking in Arizona: NOT ALLOWED," Biggers' Huffington Post
interview with Tucson teacher Curtis Acosta, and my Rethinking
Schools blog post.
Thanks for your important work.
Bill Bigelow
bill@rethinkingschools.org
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