Navigating with Compassion

I recently attended a professional development by History Unerased that discussed the importance of including LGBTQ rights in the social studies curriculum.  Listen to Triana Wilson eloquently explain how important it is to combat intolerance with compassion.  Being a history teacher means teaching with no deletions.

Antonia Pantoja

A recent lecture by the Museum of the City of New York highlighted a Puerto Rican American unsung hero.  Antonia Pantoja was born in 1921 and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico.   Her family struggled financially and had to save up money to allow her to attend high school.  After high school graduation her family saved enough money for Antonia to attend college in America.  In 1944 she migrated to New York City but life was not what she expected.  Most teaching jobs were not available to her.   Young Puerto Ricans were not treated equally.  The inequities triggered her to become an advocate for change. She formed the Hispanic Young Adults Association (HYAA) to improve access to education, health care and stable incomes.  While managing this association she graduated from Columbia University in 1954.  In 1962, she founded ASPIRA, an organization that offered tutoring, Puerto Rican history, culture classes and leadership training.  She dedicated her life to social justice.  She never stopped working to improve the community she represented.  ASPIRA continues to be an important advocate for Puerto Rican youth to this day. 

Rosewood Race Massacre

A thriving town in Rosewood Florida was burned to the ground one hundred years ago.   Rosewood was an African-America town decimated by a violent white mob.  Violence broke out on January 1st, 1923 when a white women claimed she was assaulted by a black man.  The week long massacre resulted in the loss of homes, churches ,schools, and businesses.   In 1994, the Florida legislature passed a bill recognizing the event and compensating survivors' descendants.   CNN recently published an article highlighting this lesser know event in Ameican history.