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I immediately recognized this article. I was surprised that parts of this were considered good ideas: SUPPORT STUDENTS TO RECLAIM THEIR MATHEMATICAL ANCES
by khazhoux 5y ago
I immediately recognized this article. I was surprised that parts of this were considered good ideas:
SUPPORT STUDENTS TO RECLAIM THEIR MATHEMATICAL ANCESTRY
• Intentionally include mathematicians of color.
• Expose students to mathematicians of color, particularly women of color and queer mathematicians of color, both through historical examples and by inviting community guest speakers.
• Teach students of color about their mathematical legacy and ancestral connection and mastery of math.
• Honor and acknowledge the mathematical knowledge of students of color, even if it shows up unconventionally.
• Give rightful credit to the discovery of math concepts by mathematicians of color. Reclaim concepts attributed to white mathematicians that should be attributed to mathematicians of color.
Maybe I'm behind the times, but in pre-University math, there was zero discussion of actual mathematicians. Trigonometry, algebra, geometry -- these were concepts unattached to individual people or cultures. I strongly object to the notion that math should be personified in an effort to "dismantle white supremacy in math" (as this curriculum aims to do).
Would love to hear opinions. If the idea is to encourage non-White kids to go into or connect with math, especially in districts with a large non-White student population, then great. But if the idea is that math curriculums today somehow teach kids that straight white men are superior, that's a bizarre implication.
- KerrAvon 5y agoI feel like you're missing the point. The individual mathematicians don't really matter (in this particular exercise). The fact that there _were_ and _are_ mathematicians of color is what's relevant, because it turns out that representation is important. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/why-race-and-representation-in-media-matters https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/why-race-and-represe...
- khazhoux 5y agoWell, I might be missing the point. I'm just saying this: I don't think schools teach (or even imply) that mathematicians are straight white men. And in fact, schools (pre-University) don't talk about mathematicians at all. They deal in concepts which are not associated with individuals (arithmetic, geometry, trig, algebra, calc). There's only a couple of exceptions where individual mathematicians are named in high school (Euler and L'Hôpital come to mind). It's not until university level that you start getting into theorems, and actual mathematicians show up (Cayley's theorem, Lagrange's theorem, Abelian groups, etc).
- rkk3 5y agoIt's all kind of bizarre given the historical dominance of Mediterranean mathematicians, who did not look like they were from northern Europe or speak English. Do Pythagorus and Zeno sound white? Maybe need to blame the BBC for the "Queens Latin"