Schooling ethnicity

Last week, Philadelphia public school officials announced that all district students will be required to take a course in African and African-American history. And, incredible as this might seem, the decision is generating a bit of controversy. \nCritics argue that the requirement is insensitive to other racial and ethnic groups (the district is two-thirds black) while supporters assert that it is needed to correct a long-standing gap in the history curriculum (CNN.com, June 9). \nI suspect the level of sensitivity will depend on the course's execution. I can see some teachers taking the opportunity to promote greater cultural understanding and discussion, while others use it as an excuse to treat some poor white 15-year-old like he's accountable for the evils of 17th century Dutch slave traders.\nBut a better question is: If the practice of requiring courses on racial or ethnic history spreads beyond Philly, what will it mean for the country as a whole? Aye, there's the rub.\nIt could be beneficial. This may sound like a university administration-esque cliché, but the fact is that multiculturalism is one of America's greatest strengths. We have become adept at reconciling our individual, ancestral heritage to our sense of common national identity. Europeans may make fun of us for being hyphenated citizens -- "You cannot be Italian-American," the lecture goes, "You are either Italian or American, not both!" \nBut just ask a German of Turkish ancestry, a French-person of North African ancestry, or a Briton of Pakistani ancestry whether they are treated like full German, French or British citizens. Handled correctly, learning about the diverse traditions of one's fellow citizens could both broaden students' horizons and reinforce their larger sense of community.\nThe problem is: will the teaching of racial and ethnic histories be done correctly? Seeing how well the American public education system handles other subjects, I'm not brimming with confidence. We are all familiar with the annual studies ranking American students somewhere between Togo and Tuvalu in math and science scores, but what about history? Allow me to employ an unscientific, but illustrative example.\nThe Discovery Channel has begun a four-part series, "Greatest American," in which a pool of nominees will be whittled down week by week until the greatest figure in American history is determined. The top 100 Americans, selected by voters on AOL, include such revered figures as Barbara and Laura Bush, Hilary Clinton, Tom Cruise, Ellen DeGeneres, John Edwards, Mel Gibson, Billy Graham, Michael Jackson, Jackie Kennedy Onasis, Rush Limbaugh, Madonna, Dr. Phil, Michael Moore, Barack Obama, Martha Stewart, and Oprah Winfrey. Not included? John Adams, Frank Capra, John Ford, Ulysses S. Grant, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, Jimi Hendrix, Jack Kerouac, James Madison, Edgar Allen Poe, Andy Warhol and Frank Lloyd Wright, among others. In short, the selection of nominees is so profoundly stupid that even the show's host, Matt Lauer, could not avoid mocking it on Thursday's Daily Show.\nSigh. \nLet the ethnic conflict commence.