The Sankofa Love Project
Reach back. Reeducate. Reconnect.
Mission.
The Sankofa Love Project (SLP) is a re-education resource. It is designed to give students, former students, and teachers insight into one of the industries that has the greatest impact on what Americans know about our past: the textbook industry. The SLP explores the reliability and accuracy of the commercially produced educational materials that are frequently used in K-12 history books. We also share techniques to help learners assess the educational materials they are using. Ultimately, we hope to help teachers, parents, current students, and re-ducating re-learners from all walks of life detect problematic sources; locate reliable ones; and come to well-reasoned, full, and true understandings of the past. There are 5 aspects of our efforts:
Reading: We read academic research on textbooks, and we read textbooks themselves. We look for patterns and analyze narratives. We cross-check with other sources to assess accuracy.
Writing: We synthesize what we read and put portions of it into manageably readable open-access text.
Public speaking: We teach in formal settings and speak in public about what we've found.
Publishing: We are currently developing a publishing wing to release materials that fill in gaps common to many commercially produced sources.
Reflecting: We are currently developing techniques to aid students, parents, and teachers in assessing the materials used by their schools.
We dedicate ourselves to this mission of source analysis and re-education because we believe that a more equitable, peaceful, and just United States may begin with a clear and honest understanding of its past. This is our expression of the Sankofa ethic. We do not shy away from hard histories, but neither do we harp or blame. This is our expression of love. As we develop and grow, we hope that you will grow with us.
Welcome!
The Sankofa Love Project (SLP) is a re-education resource. It is designed to give students, former students, and teachers insight into one of the industries that has the greatest impact on what Americans know about our past: the textbook industry. The SLP explores the reliability and accuracy of the commercially produced educational materials that are frequently used in K-12 history books. We also share techniques to help learners assess the educational materials they are using. Ultimately, we hope to help teachers, parents, current students, and re-ducating re-learners from all walks of life detect problematic sources; locate reliable ones; and come to well-reasoned, full, and true understandings of the past. There are 5 aspects of our efforts:
Reading: We read academic research on textbooks, and we read textbooks themselves. We look for patterns and analyze narratives. We cross-check with other sources to assess accuracy.
Writing: We synthesize what we read and put portions of it into manageably readable open-access text.
Public speaking: We teach in formal settings and speak in public about what we've found.
Publishing: We are currently developing a publishing wing to release materials that fill in gaps common to many commercially produced sources.
Reflecting: We are currently developing techniques to aid students, parents, and teachers in assessing the materials used by their schools.
We dedicate ourselves to this mission of source analysis and re-education because we believe that a more equitable, peaceful, and just United States may begin with a clear and honest understanding of its past. This is our expression of the Sankofa ethic. We do not shy away from hard histories, but neither do we harp or blame. This is our expression of love. As we develop and grow, we hope that you will grow with us.
Welcome!