Playing Slavery in First Grade: When “Developmental Appropriateness” Goes Awry in the Progressive Classroom

Abstract

This article unfurls in the aftermath of an event where three first grade children at a reputable progressive elementary school were found playing slavery during school recess. As word caught on, parents ignited into a frenzy: some railed against the teacher, others demanded an answer, while still others believed this was precisely the meaning of progressive schooling. In swift response, school administrators sent a conciliatory email apologizing for their misjudgment. Slavery, they declared, was too difficult a topic and developmentally inappropriate for such a young age. Guided by critical childhood studies and concepts of difficult knowledge, this reflective article explores how adults drew from developmental frameworks and used children as proxies to protect themselves from the complicated conversation of race and slavery. It unpacks this event through three entry points: encountering difficult knowledge in primary school; the moralization of child development; and the ongoing work inherent to social justice-oriented schooling. It is hoped that readers can take this example into their own teacher education programs and school faculty meetings to query how adults can open up spaces for critical encounters rather than launch accusations when faced with the emotional charge of oppressive histories.

Acknowledgment

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Jacqueline Simmons for her thoughtful review of this article.

Notes

1 All names have been changed to ensure anonymity.

2 Elementary teaching standards that pertain to slavery:

Fourth grade: IN SEARCH OF FREEDOM AND A CALL FOR CHANGE: Different groups of people did not have equal rights and freedoms. People worked to bring about change. The

struggle for rights and freedoms was one factor in the division of the United States that resulted in the Civil War. People who took action to abolish slavery (Samuel Cornish, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, Albro Lyons, Charles Reason, Henry Highland Garnet, or Harriet Tubman)

Fifth grade: COMPARATIVE CULTURES: The countries of the Western Hemisphere are diverse and the cultures of these countries are rich and varied. Due to their proximity to each other, the countries of the Western Hemisphere share some of the same concerns and issues. (Standards 1, 2); Slavery is abolished in Brazil (1888).