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Middle school students in Coeur d'Alene are viewing film footage of their own community this morning, as part of a classroom lesson on racism. The Idaho Public Television special, “The Color of Conscience,” is being 
shown to Lakes Magnet Middle School students. Following the showing of the film, students in all the school's advisory classes will participate in teacher-led followup discussions on racism. Produced by Idaho Public Television host, Marcia Franklin, “The Color of Conscience” first aired in May. The documentary examines the past 30 years of the modern human rights movement in Idaho, and chronicles the efforts of local human rights activists who in 1981 founded the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations/Coeur d'Alene Press. More here. (Tony Stewart, of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, holds up a 1988 Oregonian story re: the Aryan Nations)
Question: Should local schools offer classes on a local history of racism involving the Aryan Nations and the response by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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kamm on January 13 at 11:46 a.m.
Local schools should teach classes, not just offer them, on local history.
The importance of the mining industry and the resulting pollution, the First Nation and its footprint on the area, the logging and forest industries, the economics of our specific location and many more pieces in the development of our ‘home’ are important factoids to incorporate into the curriculum.
There is talk of life experiences being the stepping stone required to understand larger concepts-to compare the workings of the federal/state government to the workings of a baseball team, for example. Our home, community and state histories are a part of those stepping stones.
These need not be considered as a ‘special’ classes. They can be part of a Math, an English, a Science and/or a History class and American History class.
Do they still teach Geography as a key to how we all fit into the ‘Global Market’?
Even a mention of current events-do they still have that in History classes?-can be used to bring discussions that challenge the students’ executive learning skills.
The recent article about an apartment pool with an attached “Whites Only” sign; isn’t that an important tie in to the history of racism in our society?
Or a discussion of non- black racism in our part of the country- Chinese and Hispanic-who helped shape our area…about the student’s heritage and why/when their family’s tree began to grow roots in the US.
When my Irish relatives arrived in the US, they were labelled ‘shanty’ and were met with ‘INNA’ notices at job sites. (shifty, filthy and drunkards) ( Irish need not apply).
When did the American ‘melting pot’ turn into the ‘mosaic’ and what does that mean and how does that challenge our understanding of “…one nation…with liberty and justice for all…”?
Wes on January 13 at 1:05 p.m.
Yes. I saw the program and it was well done, and made me proud the community stood up to the thugs.
Kage_Mann on January 13 at 1:24 p.m.
“Should local schools offer classes on a local history of racism involving the Aryan Nations and the response by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations”?
Maybe, the kids could learn alittle history about this, but I wouldn’t dwell on the racism issue. It was overhyped by the media. I’d be more interested to learn about the CDA Indians and the beginnings of CDA and surrounding area. Than to learn about a few misguided, ignorant people who happened to live here.
Sisyphus on January 13 at 1:27 p.m.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”
Stickman on January 13 at 7:29 p.m.
I like it Kage. You are beginning to catch my eye with your comments. What I would really like to see is that you actually make an attempt to come to the Blogfest. I’ll bet not.
JIMMYMAC on January 13 at 10:43 p.m.
I second the notion that I’d like to see/meet Kage at Blogfest.
iamyou on January 14 at 4:27 p.m.
I am with Kage Mann.
There are some people in this community that are very interested in keeping our city known as a hotbed of racists!. I’m not for forgetting how dispicable the KKK are but the few in this area are a drop in the ocean of importance and we can handle them easily. Lets get on with the great strides this community has made.