A Campaign to Save Our Stories
They say shut it down. We say spread it around!
As a network of Teacher Activist Groups (TAG), we believe that education is essential to the preservation of civil and human rights and is a tool for human liberation. In alignment with these beliefs, TAG is proud to coordinate No History is Illegal, a month of solidarity work in support of Tucson’s Mexican American Studies (MAS) Program. In January, 2011, state attorney general Tom Horne declared the Tucson Unified School District MAS program illegal. Over the past year, teachers, students and administrators have come together to challenge Horne’s ruling, but on January 10, 2012, the TUSD school board voted 4-1 to cease all MAS classes immediately for fear of losing state aid.
In the month of February we invite you to strike back against this attack on our history by teaching lessons from and about the banned MAS program. On this website you will find a guide that includes sample lesson plans from the MAS curriculum as well as creative ideas and resources for exploring this issue with students. Whatever happens in Arizona, we can keep the ideas and values of MAS alive by teaching about them in our classrooms, our community centers, our houses of worship, our homes.
February 1 is the first day on which TUSD must comply with this law. It is also the first day of African American History Month. And as Dr. King warned us, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” What is happening in Arizona is not only a threat to Mexican American Studies, it is a threat to our right to teach the experiences of all people of color, LGBT people, poor and working people, the undocumented, people with disabilities and all those who are least powerful in this country.
Our history is not illegal. Please join us by pledging to teach MAS.
Videos
In Lak’ ech:
A Look Inside the Forbidden MAS Classes
Recent Pledges
Testimonials
This past Friday, Feb. 18th, South High School in Minneapolis started a week of events around this issue. Students went into classrooms during class (teachers knew) and put stickers on ethnic studies related posters/displays. The stickers read, "Must be Removed. In violation of Statute 15-112." They also boxed up any books on the Tucson 'banned' list. Any displays in the hallway were also tagged with the stickers. The students in the classroom all wanted to know what was happening, which is the reaction we wanted. Tuesday, Feb. 21, the students who did this will go back and change the stickers to ones that say 'No History is Illegal!' We will also hand out fliers that explain what is happening in Arizona, and let them know about other ways to become engaged. After school on Wednesday, Feb. 22, the students leading this will show the documentary titled "Precious Knowledge," and on Thursday, Feb. 23, we will do an all day read-in of the Tucson banned books in our library.
Yes! In the past 3 weeks I have taken the time to teach Mexican American Studies (MAS) and la lucha in Arizona to my middle school and high school students. They have been highly engaged in our MAS sessions and are eager to find ways to support our brothers and sisters in Arizona. In solidarity!