James Baldwin once said, “History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary,” he continued, “the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.

There is an ever-increasing need for these civic values in our democratic society, particularly n a nation with many differing social, cultural, economic, and political backgrounds, and where historically some citizens have been privileged at the expense of others. We approach our teaching through this lens and believe that teachers have a profound responsibility in preparing children to be socially-just individuals.