Unbleaching the Curriculum - by Greg Wiggan & Annette Teasdell & Marcia J Watson-VanDiver (Hardcover)

About the Book

Unbleaching the Curriculum investigates curriculum design, pedagogical omissions, and suppressed contributions of minoritized groups in schools and society to create greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Book Synopsis

Unbleaching the Curriculum: Enhancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Beyond in Schools and Society is an innovative work that applies a new perspective to curriculum desgin in U.S. public schools. Introducing the framework of unbleaching, the book explores curricular omissions and falsifications for the purpose of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in school processes and practices. Its content is groundbreaking as it introduces readers to often omitted contributions such as The Teachings of PtahHotep, the oldest book in the world, and The Ahmes Papyrus, the oldest mathematical document in the world, among others. The Nation's Report Card government report indicates that U.S. schools are experiencing modest performance (NAEP, 2022). Thus, unbleaching framework has the potential to improve student performance through curriculum development that is informed by multicultural practices. The eight key tenets and processes of unbleaching provide the context for how the curriculum might address notable omissions and suppressed historical contributions and promote greater DEI in U.S. public schools.

Review Quotes

"This reviewer initially did not know what to expect from the text. Does "unbleaching the curriculum" mean implementing diversity or drawing on those recipients and teachers of education to tell the full story and not the "white-washed" version? But this reviewer was awakened to the openness that this concept provides. The authors courageously give examples of recurring themes throughout history that led to the disparity between a one-sided view of historical concepts and the appearance of the unfiltered truth. The authors relay examples of how important this concept can be toward the equitable inclusion of non-bias concepts within the confines of education to enhance or bring about DEI. Should readers need a historical reflection on why understanding the past to move forward in the present is important, this is the text for them. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty."" --Choice Reviews

"This book courageously presents Unbleaching as a means of protest -- a protest that inherently interrogates the ideologies of Nationalism, racism, and other systems of oppression that have historically been hallmarks of integrated schooling. In the current social, educational, and political climate there is a fervent charge to dismantle any course of study that has not already been stripped of the contributions and experiences of indigenous people, and people of color. Unbleaching the Curriculum: Enhancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Beyond in Schools and Society serves as a definitive answer and is the scaffold of a necessary "constructive program" that supports the efforts of educators through diversity, equity, and inclusion in ways that enhance culturally responsive teaching and learning." --Alicia Moore, Cargill Endowed Professorship of Multicultural Education, Southwestern University

"With a high level of sophistication and poise, Unbleaching the Curriculum masterfully addresses key curricular and pedagogical issues in education. This work is timely and needed as it disrupts "miseducation" and advances diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools and beyond. It shines a bright light on curricular omissions while providing a corrective framework that enhances instructional knowledge in K-12 and higher education. This book has great implications for social studies and teacher preparation, and it is a must read for educators, researchers, curriculum designers, and policy makers." --Joyce E. King, Georgia State University Professor - Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Policy Studies; Past President of the American Educational Research Association 2014-2015

"Unbleaching the Curriculum is an innovative transformation blue print for multicultural curriculum reform to "spark the genius" of all students. The authors sound an alarm about oppressive power structures in K-12 and higher education curriculum and illuminate the crippling effects on scholars' identities when excluded from what is taught and the perils of inaction. Moreover, the authors provide an education framework using data from diverse disciplines such as history, science, anthropology, statistics, etc. to guide action. This book is an essential resource to enhance knowledge about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in schools and society." --La Vonne I. Neal, PhD, Professor Emerita, Northern Illinois University

About the Author

Greg A. Wiggan is Professor of Urban Education, Adjunct Professor of Sociology, and Affiliate Faculty of Africana Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a nationally award nominated author and has published over 100 publications, inclusive of over 30 education books.
Annette Teasdell is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Clark Atlanta University and the coordinator of the Master of Arts in Special Education Program. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Urban Education from UNC Charlotte.
Marcia Watson-Vandiver is an Associate Professor of Elementary Education at Towson University. She received her M.Ed. in Educational Policy and Leadership from Georgia State University. She later received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction - Urban Education and Graduate Certificate in Africana Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Sheikia Talley-Matthews is an educational researcher who holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is the author of Sister Outsider in the Academy: Untold Stories of Afro-Caribbean Women in United States Colleges and Universities. She is also a former high school history teacher who holds a Master's in Secondary Social Studies Education and a Bachelor's in History.