Jarvis Givens

Jarvis Givens, Harvard professor of education and African and African American studies and author of I'll Make Me a World, explores the 100-year history of Black History Month. He traces its origins from Negro History Week, highlights grassroots preservation by teachers and communities, and discusses how celebrations shifted over time. The conversation centers on memory work, everyday lives, and the politics of teaching Black history.

Jarvis Givens, Harvard professor of African and African American studies and author of I’ll Make a World, explores 100 years of Black History Month. He discusses early classroom memories, how segregated schools preserved Black memory, balancing trauma and agency in teaching, the diasporic roots of Black history, and current fights over removing Black history from classrooms.

Jarvis Givens, a Harvard education professor and author specializing in race and education, explores the interconnected histories of Native and Black education in the U.S. He argues that public schooling is rooted in Native land dispossession and the economic engine of slavery. Givens introduces the concept of 'American Grammar,' highlighting how race, power, and knowledge are embedded in today's educational structures. He emphasizes the need for nuanced historical understanding to address current inequities and shape justice-oriented educational solutions.