It may be good and beautiful, but is it true?
Last week, The Good and the Beautiful announced their new U.S. Constitution curriculum, which I got excited about for a moment.
***UPDATE: The Good and the Beautiful delayed the release of the new Constitution curriculum in order to make some changes. In the Constitution course that was released in September 2021, they removed the problematic page on slavery that I shared in this blog post. Scroll to the bottom of this post for more thoughts on the updated course.***
I watched their flip-through video, and it looked fantastic! I loved that they decided to focus on primary sources and teaching children to examine documents, research, and consume news with a discerning eye. They spoke about the Constitutional as an apolitical document- neutral in every sense of the word. They spoke about diversity, not for the sake of diversity, but because of all of the incredible, diverse people that had to come together to bring the Constitution to life. Everything I saw in the flip-through would make me want to buy this course and share it with my friends and audience on social media.
They seem to have removed the flip-through video from YouTube.
But, then I was disheartened to see this promotional video. The whole video has a very political tone, like it was designed to play at a MAGA rally. There isn’t anything explicitly wrong with it or anything untrue, but it just gave me the vibe that this curriculum wasn’t for me.
When she references things like:
- “There have been constant attacks on the character and morals of our founding fathers”
- “the country our great grandparents grew up in”
- “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction”
- “what it was once like in the USA when men were free”
…it gave me a pause.
In recent years, there has been more of an open and honest discussion about our founding fathers. It is true that they were not perfect. It is true that many of them enslaved other humans. It’s also true that the hard work and forethought that they had to create the Constitution is a big part of the reason our country has continued to prosper and evolve into the great nation it is today. It’s also true that our country still has a lot of work to do to ensure that everyone enjoys the full range of freedoms that were initially only given to white men by our founding fathers. The only way that we can make that happen is through these conversations. Hard conversations need to happen. It’s not attacking the founding fathers’ character and morals; it’s understanding where we came from and where we want to go.
What was life like when our great grandparents were growing up? It was a world of Jim Crow Laws and segregation. Our great grandparents were only a few generations removed from slavery. Sure there were probably more yes ma’ams and yes sirs, but that’s not an era I want to go back to.
Ronald Reagan’s words about freedom aren’t a look back into the good ol’ days when men were free (because at the time of our founding fathers, obviously they were not). These words were a call to action. Reagan sought to unify, not divide.
Excerpt from Regan.com
Reagan delivered the address while the country was grappling with the threat of Communism and other foreign adversaries, all while civil rights and other domestic issues were taking center stage at home. With his Freedom Speech, Reagan sought to unify the American people around the shared common goal of pursuing freedom, which he emphasized wasn’t a guarantee. He aimed to motivate listeners out of complacency, to inspire them to keep fighting for the freedom that he knew could be at risk if they weren’t vigilant. That idea has survived for generations and serves as a clarion call to not lose sight of the value of freedom—and the risks of it dissipating from American society.
The comments on the promotional video sharing concerns and the subsequent responses by TGTB were very telling. Almost all of the comments have since been deleted by TGTB.
As sensitive to race and bias and the current political and social climate as they were in the flip-through video, I couldn’t let my concerns go without sharing them directly with the company.
I am an optimist. I try to always give people the benefit of the doubt. I emailed them my concerns because I wanted to hear from them myself. I emailed them and got this response:
Our children are definitely growing up in a world different than it was in decades past. Hate, rudeness, unkindness, spreading of false information, name-calling, and so much more are unfortunately rampant. What we meant is not that we wished we could go back to a time when people were oppressed–of COURSE not!
It is true that many people, including women, blacks, Native peoples, and others, did not have equal rights at the Founding or for far too long after. It is the Constitution that laid the foundation for abolition, for suffrage, and for civil rights. Principles of freedom, justice, and equality for all are our guiding lights. The Founding Fathers saw the work they did in the early days of forming the US government as a beginning. They never thought that it was the last word, nor did they believe their work to be perfect. That is why they put directly into the Constitution the means for the people to correct deficiencies as the needs and beliefs of the people changed. And Americans have risen to the occasion time after time with the passage of 27 amendments, the full context and importance of which are all taught in the course. One of the other important issues highlighted in the course is that the country was not perfect at its founding, nor were the Founders perfect.
I appreciated this response and none of it is necessarily untrue, they just didn’t really address my concerns. At this point, I thought that the curriculum wan’t for me but that it might work for others.
When Facts Aren’t Enough
I am a positive, you-do-you kind of person. I have close friends of all faiths, all backgrounds, of all colors. I am on the opposite side of the political aisle from many of my friends. I believe we can all co-exist knowing that each of us is doing the very best we can in making decisions for our family, and I think we have lost a lot of tolerance for differing opinions and viewpoints.
There were homeschool influencers and bloggers and many Black women who condemned this curriculum immediately. In hindsight, I can see why, and I appreciate the time and space I was given to come to my own conslusions.
I feel a personal responsibility to do my due diligence before making judgments about business or people. Even though TGTB is a large company now, it is one woman’s dream that has come to life. As a curriculum creator myself, I know how much blood, sweat, and tears goes into creating a product, and I am more inclined to just unfollow and move on from a company who doesn’t align with my family’s values than to try to sway the opinions of others.
But then, I saw a sneak peek of the curriculum on Instagram shared by @read_therainbow.
Here’s a screenshot of one of the sample pages on slavery in the new TGTB Constitution curriculum:
Yikes.
Well, this was more than just a difference in politics or an alternative view. This was rewriting history. This was racism. This was a white-washed, feel-good alternate reality.
To be fair, there are a lot of facts on this page. It is true that slavery happened all over the world to people of all colors. It is true that the founding fathers were born into a system that accepted slavery.
But just as I would never accept the excuse that “everyone was doing it” if my children succumb to peer pressure, it’s not an excuse for slavery either. Slavery is a messy, evil business. And the biggest problem with this excerpt isn’t necessarily the facts it shares, but all of the details it leaves out.
The Atlantic slave trade cannot be grouped into a one-liner about the history of slavery. This period of enslavement was so radically different than any other era of slavery in history and to not point out those differences and the lasting effects of slavery in our country…that is lying by omission.
The last line of this page is so problematic on so many levels. Yes, there were Christians who helped lead the charge to abolish slavery. And in a Christian curriculum, I’d expect to see some wonderful stories of some of those people. But again, it’s what was left out here that is the main issue. There were many Christians who engaged in the slave trade. Christianity was often lifted up as an excuse and an argument for continuing to enslave people.
In their quest to share a neutral viewpoint, TGTB has taken away the power of the truth.
The truth is we can love our country, and hate that it was founded on the backs of Africans who suffered through enslavement for 250 years and who continue to suffer through the effects of that experience today.
You can see more samples of the curriculum and of the student workbook on their website.
Using Your Influence
Being an “influencer” is complicated. To be clear, we all have influence. Whether you have 100 or 10,000 or 100,000 followers on social media, you have influence.
I take my influence seriously. I get emails and messages from people almost daily sharing how something I suggested or something I created has changed the course of their homeschool and their life. Those messages are the reason I keep blogging, keep writing, and keep creating.
So that brings me back to TGTB.
I have resisted using anything from TGTB because the company makes it pretty clear who they are, what they stand for, and who their audience is…and I am not their target audience. If I’m picturing their avatar, it’s a white, LDS woman with 4+ children homeschooling in the hills of Utah. Clearly, I am not their target market!
However, last year I reluctantly started dabbling in some of the resources from TGTB. And guess what? We loved them! They actually are good and beautiful. We pick and choose individual products, and I’ve been able to choose ones that are “light” on religion where it isn’t espousing doctrine, but providing a positive and uplifting worldview. That was a compromise I was OK with…
What I’m not OK with? A white-centered, rainbows and butterflies view of history.
I believe in shielding our children from as much as we can about the evil and horrors of this world when they are young. But little by little, as our children begin to explore the world around them through first-hand experiences, books, stories, and music, we begin to give them age-appropriate, but truthful, information.
TGTB released a curriculum for 4th-8th graders. By this age, our children need to know the truth.
How can we reduce slavery to a blip in history that happened becuase that’s just how things were and nobody questioned it? How can we say that it was a radical idea that humans are not property? How can we say that it was America and her Christian principles that led the charge to abolish slavery?
This is not history. This is not truth. This is not OK.
So because I have shared on my blog and on social media that we have used and loved many products from TGTB, I feel obligated to make it clear that I cannot in good conscience recommend any products by The Good and the Beautiful.
What Now?
I’m not sure where I go from here. We have several resources from TGTB that we are already using and have planned to use this year. I do not plan to give the company any more free publicity from me in the form of me sharing what we are using or tagging them on social media.
Even though we have been using some materials and enjoying them, it’s hard to look at any of their materials as neutral knowing the bias and stance of the company founder and her team.
Today, we happened to be reading a book from the Good and the Beautiful library- The Boy and the Pyramids. It’s a living book that depicts life in ancient Egypt for a little boy who’s father was king. The boy and his family are pictured as kind, loving people who are even nice to their slaves (gasp!).
I read a line of the book today about an enslaved family living on the boy’s grounds that insisted that the enslaved family was happy because they had a house and food.
I could have just read right through that chapter focusing on the living history we were getting- learning about what it was like to live in those times and learning about the distinct classes in Egyptian society.
But, I paused.
I asked my kids, “Do you think the family is truly happy?”
They responded that they might be kind of happy because they had a house and food to eat, but probably not all the way happy.
Why?
Because can you be truly happy without your freedom?
I would say no. But apparently the authors of this book and the creators at The Good and the Beautiful believe differently.
So while math and typing and read aloud books seem innocent enough, I absolutely feel like every part of everything offered by this company must be looked at with a discerning eye to ensure that it fits with our family’s values.
I realize that sounds pretty obvious, but when you’re homeschooling three children and covering 24 subjects each week, sometimes you choose the easy route and go with options that have good reviews or that are recommended by friends in person or online.
Which is exactly why I can’t support The Good and the Beautiful anymore.
I didn’t feel like it was enough to boycott them myself. And an Instagram post isn’t enough either. I want people to Google “The Good and the Beautiful reviews” and I want the chance for them to see this post.
If you also find yourself in a place of already having their materials, but not agreeing with their company stance on history, there is no shame in continuing to use the products you already have that work for your family. They offer free language arts and math curriculum and it would be only from a place of extreme privilege to think that everyone has the means to drop their materials completely. I would suggest using any materials with a discerning eye.
I also feel like I have to note here that though the founder of TGTB is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, her worldview is not representative of all Christians, all Mormons, or the LDS church. TGTB has been criticized by other Christian bloggers and personally, I have heard from many LDS members that don’t agree with many of TGTB’s teachings.
Teaching Truthful History
I know the next question I’ll get is where we can find an accurate, honest history curriculum. I don’t think you’ll ever find one.
I appreciated this post by @theintuitivehomeschooler explaining more on why that unicorn of a curriculum doesn’t exist. It’s long, but worth the watch.
What does historical truth look like for our family? We teach history with the child at the center beginning with the history with the closest proximity to the child and then moving outward.
We study Texas history because that is where we live. We learn about Mexico and the early formations of our state and country. We visit the missions in San Antonio to see what it looked like when Spanish colonialism reached as far as Texas.
We explore the German immigrants on my husband’s side that left famine and poverty in Germany for a better life in Texas only to find a desolate, dangerous land that actually belonged to someone else. We study US history and learn how those immigrants to this new land fit into the landscape of the north and south- how economics skewed the moral compass of so many.
We look to our own ancestry at Christopher Columbus’ landing on the island of Hispanola and the beginnings of the slave trade in the New World along with the destruction of native communities throughout the Caribbean.
We see the effects of Communism on my great grandparents in Cuba, and share the stories of what it means to find freedom in this beautiful country of ours.
History Resources
I don’t use any history curriculum.
We use living books, preferable written by authors who have first-hand knowledge of the accounts they are writing about. This typically means I look for Black authors when we want to learn about slavery, I find Native American authors when we want to know more about issues affecting indigenous people, etc.
You might think you need a curriculum to be able to teach history, but anytime you introduce a middleman, you’re inviting that middleman’s viewpoint into your home.
You can teach the Constitution with nothing more than the Constitution in front of you. Read it. Think about it. Discuss it.
You can teach history by talking to your neighbors, watching YouTube videos with first-hand accounts of historical events, or reading good quality, living books.
There are a few places I can recommend as a starting point, but remember, YOUR history is unique and you will need to adjust anything you find to fit your family:
- Blossom & Root’s River of Voices: This is a secular history curriculum that was designed to approach history through many different lenses. I love Blossom & Root because it is designed to be flexible with many suggestions about how to make it work for your family.
- Heritage Mom’s book recommendations: Amber has so many fantastic book recommendations on her blog. See them all organized by time period/topic here.
- Read the Rainbow’s Unlearn. Relearn. Grow.: Designed for tweens, teens, and adults, this family style books club is designed to dive deeper into topics of Black history.
- The Parallel Narrative: This blog has so many fantastic book recommendations sharing the “untold” story of US history.
History is complicated and ugly yet it leaves me full of hope. We examine the past to move forward knowing that we are chasing progress.
History is full of evil, but it’s also filled with stories. Stories of real people and real families. Stories of fighting for what is right against all odds. Stories of rising up against oppression. Stories of great men and women. Stories of ordinary men and women and children surviving and thriving with whatever hand they were dealt in life. Stories of courage, hope, passion, friendship, joy, anguish, gratitude, forgiveness, and so much more.
This is the history I know to be true, and the history I will share with my children.
What history will you share with yours?
Progress: The Updated Course
Due to backlash about the Constitution course, The Good and the Beautiful delayed the release in order to make some changes.
While I do not appreciate how the Good and the Beautiful handled this entire situation, I am thankful, relieved, and impressed that they were able to take a step back to listen to their customers and make changes to their curriculum to present a more honest viewpoint of slavery and the founding of our nation.
When I emailed The Good and the Beautiful to find out more about the changes made to the course, this is the response I received:
“We only changed a few sentences of a few pages of the course book to clarify things people have misunderstood so is clear that:
You can download a free PDF of the entire course on the Good and the Beautiful’s website to see for yourself.
So what do I think of the changes? I absolutely think the Good and the Beautiful did the right thing and changed the most offensive and untrue parts of their course. I spent time looking through the entire course, and it does a great job of walking through the Constitution and the complicated issues the Founding Fathers faced in setting up our nation for enduring prosperity.
I can appreciate the care they took in presenting a positive viewpoint while not downplaying the challenges. I also appreciate the diverse viewpoints shared from Black Americans and women among others.
Would I use this course with my own family? I think with any open-and-go curriculum, we should always make sure the curriculum fits with our family’s values, and I am not opposed to leaving things out that don’t feel right or adding in material for a more balanced viewpoint. I probably wouldn’t use this course as is with my own family, but I do think it would be a good starting point for some in-depth conversations and deep dives into history.
Side Note: Call Out Culture vs Cancel Culture
I’ve gotten so many comments and messages about how this post is just another disgraceful part of the “cancel culture” that’s sweeping through America.
When I wrote this post, I had no intention of “canceling” anyone. I am one tiny voice speaking out against one very large homeschool behemoth.
There was one video in particular that many of you sent me where someone affiliated with the Good and the Beautiful spoke out against those who were speaking out against this curriculum. The general idea was, “If you don’t like it, move on.”
I know the old saying. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
But when our children’s hearts and futures are at stake? I’m not willing to stay silent. And I’m so thankful to all of the voices, big and small, that rose up in defense of truth. Because that’s how change happens.
Calling out companies when they are in the wrong is not cancel culture. Calling out companies when they are in the wrong is how we affect change in a world where we are all still learning.
A decade ago, when my firstborn was a newborn, I remember posting a photo of her in her carseat on Facebook. Someone reached out because she was not strapped in her carseat properly. I had absolutely no clue! I was embarrassed, but also so thankful for that person who cared enough to share information in a kind, respectful way.
As I have grown my online presence, I’ve continued to learn and grow thanks to my wonderful readers. I have said things that I didn’t know were offensive. I have used language I didn’t realize was problematic. I have recommended resources that turned out to be trash.
When you know better, you do better.
I have so much compassion, respect, and appreciation for The Good and the Beautiful and every other company that has ever been called out and then made it right. I know that is not easy! But that means so much to me as a consumer to know that the companies I support with my hard-earned dollars are doing the right thing.
Kelly says
Bravo for sharing your concerns with your audience! Thanks for having the courage to reflect, research and speak your truth.
Samantha says
Thank you so so much for breaking things down. This post is amazing. You didn’t bash a company. You gave insight and resources and were very fair. 🙌
Amanda Gregg says
Thank you, Meghann! This was so well thought out and I’m proud of you doe taking a stand.
Janicke says
Thanks for this eye opening post…Have you looked into Oh Freedom! By Woke Homeschool? I’d love your thoughts on that American History curriculum.
Meghann says
I have heard good things about it! I will have to check it out, thank you.
Laurie says
You referenced Rebecca in this article!?!? There goes all your credibility. Her actions are anything but Christian.
You are a part of the divide in our country. You are making this curriculum something it’s not. They are in no way condoning slavery, good grief. You’re trying too hard.
I’ll be buying each of my four boys a copy when it’s released. I can’t wait to teach them from it. Our country needs this curriculum. So do you, apparently.
This will be the last time I visit your page. I no longer admire you.
Meghann says
I have heard that the company is reworking the section on slavery so apparently they felt there were issued that needed to be addressed as well.
Skylar says
THANK YOU!!
travis says
Some are not going to like this comment. I disagree with this post. You are assuming the motivation and intention of the writers of the curriculum.
It does not seem racist, unless you assume their intentions. If I’m wrong there is no way to prove it. It goes back to intentions. Who can say they know the mind and intention of the founding fathers. To assume they were racist is pride. Who are you to judge a person long dead from a previous time. There were many aspects of past living that are not followed in present day. There are many present practices that would be considered obscene in the past days.
It is humility to show deference to those who came before us and created what we enjoy today. To do otherwise is prideful and ungrateful. I am sad more people do not think for themselves, but instead parrot the popular sentiments of the day.
In many ways, similar to the issues you criticize here, you are in danger of perpetuating the very thing you hate. You are going along with the popular sentiment of the times you live in without stopping to think about the impact or the morals of the decision you are making. Think for yourself! Do not rely on feelings and instagram posts do make a decision for your children’s future. What happens if you hate our country? What follows from that bitterness? I hope your thoughts do not become the modern-day version of slavery, which all accept because it is the new fashion of the day.
Just something to consider, I hope this post gives you another perspective.
Thanks
Meghann says
I appreciate your respectful dialogue. I actually have no assumptions about the intent of the writers of the curriculum. My judgments are based solely on the sample I saw.
As for the Founding Fathers, yes, I do feel that we can and should judge them now as we study and learn from events throughout history. I completely agree that the Founding Fathers deserve deference and respect; the lasting impact of their work is something I am immensely grateful for. We can love our country AND learn from its mistakes all at the same time.
Haileigh says
Well said.
Mrs. Addison says
THANK YOU for saying this.
Fae says
This is my very first visit to this blog.
Discernment and having the Holy Spirit live in you is what is needed during the times we live in. Without it, we can judge things incorrectly and create blogs and post on social media spreading our opinions made from falsely judging a thing.
As an African American mother of 3 African American children, I want my children to learn the fullness of history. Not just that black people were enslaved by white people and because of that, we were and to this day, are inferior. This was what was taught to me all my 13 or so years of public education. That simply isn’t the fullness of our country’s history.
I have tried my best to teach my children how MOST of the problems we see in our country and the world right now is because of the deviation from the morals and beliefs our country was founded upon. This is biblical truth. The chaos we live in is a direct result of our abandonment of these foundational views.
Racist? No. Political? No. The video was filled with truth, wisdom, and courage. It spoke to how my husband and I and people we know, truly feel. I can’t wait to begin this curriculum, I really hope TGTB isn’t bullied into conforming and watering down the truth just as so many other true Christians have done for the sake of pleasing those who feel “uncomfortable”. Jesus made most people feel uncomfortable because he spoke the truth.
Meghann says
I appreciate your thoughts and I hear you. I’m not sure if you looked at the sample page, but it was missing some key *facts* and The Good and the Beautiful acknowledged that and made a few slight changes to that page. I want my children to learn the fullness of history too, but to do that, they need to know the whole story! The truth is that yes, our ancestors were brought over as slaves (mine were taken to the Caribbean) and that was immoral. Does that mean we are inferior now? No way! For my family, it’s a really, really small slice of our picture and it makes me proud of every single one of my ancestors since then for all we’ve accomplished.
Naomi Gonzalez says
Thank you,
I had been using TGATB here and there for a few things. Although I am LDS I Do Not have the same views as the creators seem to have. I have stayed away from their history and many of the books from their library. I try to not sugar coat things for children and give them the originals as soon as it would be appropriate. It breaks my heart to now truly see what they think about POC like me. I hope you and your family can find something that falls in line with what you belive.
Meghann says
Thank you so much for your comment. I know that this company’s views do not represent those of all LDS families. Onward and upward in the search for quality and truthful resources!
Angela Cross says
Thank you for this! I appreciate how informative and honest this post is. I also appreciate that you are standing on the side of right despite knowing that those who are so loyal to this company will not like it. Thank you for being brave enough to do and say what is actually true and right.
Meghann says
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind words.
Meg says
Thank you for sharing this! I have been struggling with loving other parts of the TGTB curriculum and seeing the glaring issues with the new Constitution curriculum. At first I thought I just wouldn’t use it, and move on. I don’t use any of their history curriculum so it was no big deal, but the more I see of the curriculum and of the company’s reaction to concerns, the more I think I cannot financially support a company that takes this stance and sidesteps real concerns people have with the content.
Meghann says
It is such a delicate balance to figure out what we can let go of and where we need to stand our ground. This, for me, was it.
Marsali says
Thank you for this post – I’m in a similar position. The flip through of the Constitution course looks creative, educational, and engaging… but then as I looked through the Sample files, I saw the page titled “Slavery and Our Founding Fathers” in the Student Journal, and there were red flags everywhere on that page.
We were already refusing to use TGTB History curriculum in our homeschool (Thomas Jefferson is described as a “kind” slave master?! What?! There is no such thing!), but it looks like the Constitution curriculum will be displaying that same racism. Sigh.
P.s. Unfortunately, it looks like The Good and the Beautiful has removed the page titled “Slavery and Our Founding Fathers” from the Sample on their website, of the Student Journal. I’m glad that Read the Rainbow was able to get a screenshot of that page, and that you had the courage/peace/words to write this post (thank you!), so that people can see this sample before purchasing.
Meghann says
Yes they did remove the sample page, and I hear through the grapevine that they are reworking it, thank goodness.
Micha says
Here is some history for children you may like better: https://honesthistorymag.com/
Meghann says
We have gotten a few of these and they have been great!
Simone says
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the time and thoughtful exposition here. It confirmed what I already suspected. I was hopeful at the first sign of TGATB’s Constitution course, thinking it would be a balanced and historically accurate material source, but was completely taken aback by the preview and video. We have been using TGATB as a core source for a couple of years now and I’m disappointed they chose to go the revisionist white-centric route when America has such a diverse history and there are so many lessons to be learned from the past. I’m no longer recommending it to friends as a result. It is also unfortunate that they have turned off comments on their social media- it lead me straight to google to see other people’s perspectives, and is just not a good move on their part to not even dialogue with their customer base on this issue.
Meghann says
I too wish there was more dialogue and proactive thinking on their part. But all we can do is more forward using the best resources we can find that fit our family values.
Heather says
I just read through the sample you posted. I don’t get the feeling the publishers are trying to down play slavery. I think they are just being honest about the time period, and showing how strong of a hold slavery had on the hearts of the upper classes at the time. During the time period (1700s), almost none of the people in power were highly opposed to slavery. Furthermore, their entire economy and lifestyle depended on it, so it is even more of a miracle it was abolished. Slavery was always wrong. Popular opinion and convenience doesn’t change whether or not a practice is wrong, but it does often change whether or not anything is done about that wrong. To me, the point of showing how radical the idea was at the time, shows how much more courage it must have taken for free men and women to stand up for freedom for all back then.
I would liken it unto modern day abortion, but let me be clear that I am not saying slavery and abortion are the same. Abortion is just the last real frontier of human rights. I believe there will come a day, in the future, when people will look back at our generation and those just before us, and say, “Look how many elective abortions these women had. How barbaric. How could they not see that they were killing their own offspring? The doctors then took the Hippocratic Oath that states ‘”I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion,’ so they knew it was wrong, but they did it anyway.” Hindsight is 2020, but during the height of controversy, people justify all sorts of things. Many people would be offended by me saying elective abortion is wrong, and I imagine people were offended back then when someone told them enslaving humans is wrong, especially if they were guilty of it.
Meghann says
I appreciate your thorough response, but still disagree wholeheartedly. A quick Google search led me to this short blurb that paints a much more realistic picture of how slavery viewed at the time (from https://www.crf-usa.org/black-history-month/the-constitution-and-slavery):
“When the American colonies broke from England, the Continental Congress asked Thomas Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence. In the declaration, Jefferson expressed American grievances and explained why the colonists were breaking away. His words proclaimed America’s ideals of freedom and equality, which still resonate throughout the world.
Yet at the time these words were written, more than 500,000 black Americans were slaves. Jefferson himself owned more than 100. Slaves accounted for about one-fifth of the population in the American colonies. Most of them lived in the Southern colonies, where slaves made up 40 percent of the population.
Many colonists, even slave holders, hated slavery. Jefferson called it a “hideous blot” on America. George Washington, who owned hundreds of slaves, denounced it as “repugnant.” James Mason, a Virginia slave owner, condemned it as “evil.”
But even though many of them decried it, Southern colonists relied on slavery. The Southern colonies were among the richest in America. Their cash crops of tobacco, indigo, and rice depended on slave labor. They weren’t going to give it up.”
So yes, there are nuances because it was a common practice at the time and these Founding Fathers were born into a system that relied and depended on enslaved people, they way that TGTB has framed this is untrue. And apparently they agree as I hear they are reworking this page, thankfully!
Regina says
Thank you so much for synthesizing your thoughts into this very thoughtful post and breaking it down explicitly where the problems lie. I think so many people are afraid to criticize TGTB by name because, well, they get attacked, which means a lot of vague, critical posts. I too saw the promo and was put off. We’re a Muslim family. After the promo, I just felt so utterly excluded. Like the history of the USA is important, but not to me because I’m not Christian. It was hard to put my finger on, because I recognize that I’m not their demographic. Then I read the slavery page here. In addition to the things you mentioned, I find it very interesting that they’re calling out Arabs and the Ottomon Empire specifically (as in, look the Muslims were doing it forever! Even longer than us Christian Americans!). I realize I may be reading too much into it, but who tells the story is so important to what story gets told. There’s a lot of context missing there, both about Arab culture and Muslims. And I just feel like, “look how many peoples enslaved people! Heck, the Muslims did it, even longer than us!” is a terrible argument for why it was “ok” that our founding fathers did it. Ultimately that’s what this page seems to say, that ‘it’s OK that our country was founded on slavery because that’s just what people did back then. And thank goodness we woke up and stopped that and showed everyone else how to respect the freedoms of all people. Unlike those Muslims in the Ottoman Empire. What a terrible society. And everything is great now. The end.’ Exaggerated a little, but still how I feel.
Natalie says
Yeah, I’m not Muslim, I’m Christian, but I felt some similar things to you when I was reading it. I don’t think you are reading too much into it.
E.B says
As an indigenous homeschool mom, I find it so sad that when you say if you want a book on slavery you look for a black author or a book on indigenous history you look for an indigenous author. Because first, it’s good to have different perspectives with books. For example; not only Jewish people lived through the Holocaust. Not only Jewish people were killed during the Holocaust. So why can’t a Black, Latino, or non Jewish person write on the subject? Does it take away or make it any less of a book, history, or truth. The answer simply is no. I don’t want people to pick me out for my color, my background, my history, I want people to stop the labels altogether and just be human. Sadly, when you only look for an author that writes on subjects for the color of their skin and not the fact that they can have an engaging story, truthful content, and beautiful writing is disappointing. Many people of all colors are passionate about different time periods, they feel something, they know truth, and aren’t the “colors” or “culture” your looking for. I am an indigenous woman, I will be using Jenny’s curriculum because I’m an American first, proud of my country and equally proud of my people. You can be both! I encourage you to Google a YouTube video another Native American recently posted on GATB course. Get the perspective from more than me. Because it’s good to have different perspectives, that’s why I read your post in the first place. I also disagree with you on a lot of this post but I love to read people’s opinions and thoughts no matter what their race. I could say, as a woman of color myself you, yourself can’t speak on racism but that’s not the truth just a narrative. Everyone has a right to their thoughts and opinions. That’s what makes America great.
Meghann says
Thanks so much for your comment. I agree with much of what you are saying here and think we probably agree more than disagree! When I choose resources to use with my children, I prefer living books. Living books are written by someone with primary knowledge of the subject OR they have a passion for the subject and lots of research. I don’t want to use a textbook about the the American Revolution written by some guy in Minnesota. I’d rather read biographies about the key players on both sides, read primary source documents, etc. so that we can have a balanced view of history. I see no issues with using TGTB’s curriculum with the revisions. The fact that TGTB updated the course to take out the hugely problematic page on slavery is a win for us all, but proof that we have to continue questioning and advocating for accurate sources.
Jody says
It saddens me there is still so much division in this country. Let’s use the Bible, Mark 3:25, “And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Slavery was a dark day in our country and it was wrong! Through history though there were not only black slaves but white ones as well. Do we throw out the Bible next because it talks about slavery also?
Meghann says
Hi Jody,
It saddens me too. I totally agree that slavery was a dark time for our country. I also think we have to acknowledge it and discuss it, not pretend it didn’t happen or wasn’t a big deal. We can love our country AND still condemn slavery.
W.B. says
Thank you so much for your honest and thoughtful review. I have used TGTB as I have homeschooled my 6 kids on and off for a few years (sometimes public school is just right fit for our family and my health). Like others you have talked with, I am LDS and I have not always agreed with the creators take on some things. I have never loved their history, and have always seemed to piece together history from many different sources. I am a mom to 4 Black America and 2 white children. I want the history I teach them to be accurate, and full stories they wouldn’t necessarily read in typical text books. Do you have any suggestions of books that could help me to teach my children to know the truth of our nations history while still helping to teach a love of the nation?
Lorena says
I really appreciate this review and I feel like I’ll be a subscriber for life. Thank you, Meghann.
Bibi Chinn says
Thank you for posting this. I appreciate your bravery and honesty.
Liz says
Blacks also owned slaves in America. Would you agree that children should be taught this for full honesty and disclosure? Would black slave owners also be categorized as racist? It wasn’t just about racism, it was about the economic system that was formed at that time. African tribes sold Africans from enemy tribes i to slavery. Should children also be taught how Africans contributed to the system of slavery? More white people than not believed the slaves should be free, otherwise there would still be slavery today, and the Protestants played a huge role in freeing the slaves. Most white people were too poor to even own slaves, so there is a a big element of this being a class issue. Nothing is so black and white and I think the publishers did a good job of giving kids an overview without going into every dark detail. There’s darkness on many sides but it seems like you want to only show the darkness coming from white people. I also don’t appreciate your comment about some “white mother homeschooling her four kids in Utah” as their target market, as I’m a black mother of two kids homeschooling in California and will be using this program. You people who want to focus on white guilt don’t want the truth, you want my people to forever be trapped in victim mindset like we need white saviors treating us like their little pets. I agree there are residual economic and psychological effects from slavery, but those effects continue today from those who claim to be fighting for us, through government welfare that has removed black fathers from the home and made single black mothers dependent on government money, through activist groups that have mixed LGBT issues with black issues, watering down our movement and further breaking down our men and our family structure, through the constant reminder that we must hate white people, rather than teaching us to create economic partnerships with people that are willing to help uplift us, bu teaching every bad decision we could ever make is someone else’s fault, so we never grow or learn to navigate the system we’ve been born into. No, my kids will be stronger than this and they will not see white people as their enemy. They will love all races of people equally and not be retraumatized by the past.
Meghann says
I don’t disagree with much of what you have to say here. History is complicated and there’s a lot of nuance to dive into with discussions. It’s sounds like you’ll do a great job having those discussions with your children.
Lou says
Extremely late to the party here, but thank you for this. I recently purchased a “bundle” from Harbor and Sprout. I sent them an email about the problematic “The Mayflower and Pilgrims” that was included, despite their FAQ stating they are “non-sectarian.” Their response was “Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for the offense caused. Best.”
I’m kind of at a loss. I’m not a history person, I’m math, science, art, and music… I don’t know where to start, and I needed this post, especially the links to other starting points, to help focus and identify resources that I can use to teach my Indigenous child subjects that have been… whitewashed, to be kind.