Ethnic Studies Must Begin in Our K-12 Schools

For 50 years, students and faculty have repeatedly organized to expand Ethnic Studies at Harvard. We’ve made some progress, but much work remains to be done: “Cluster hires” and administrative efforts to expand faculty position offerings are not nearly enough. At Yale, students enjoy the benefits of a full-fledged undergraduate degree program in Ethnic Studies, and our colleagues at Princeton have gained from our faculty losses.

With students having organized for Ethnic Studies at Harvard just last week, we should think critically about the fight to promote this curriculum beyond the walls of our University. It may be in our best interest to refocus attention towards planting the seeds of an ethnic studies education earlier — in our elementary and secondary schools.

Massachusetts House of Representatives Bill S.288/H.542, referred to the Education Committee this February, calls to “promote racially inclusive curriculum in schools,” establishing a fund to incorporate the histories and contributions of marginalized and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into the curriculum of K-12 schools.

Why should we care? Significant evidence shows that developing cultural competence and an appreciation for society’s diversity and historical nuance within students early on is vital. A 2021 Stanford study found that ethnic studies curriculum in the San Francisco Unified School District had a “remarkably prolonged and strong positive impact,” helping students “increas[e] their overall engagement in school, probability of graduating and likelihood of enrolling in college.” Moreover, the study demonstrated that ethnic studies had increased students’ sense of belonging and relevance in their communities.

I’m keenly aware of the salience of race in debates over K-12 curriculum. This is not a piece whose goal is to strike down every qualm with critical race theory or add fire to the flames of a hyperpolarized discussion that’s been broken beyond repair. Rather, I aim to set terms for a more well-intentioned conversation over the educational and social-emotional merits of a racially-inclusive curriculum, putting aside racial dog whistles in the pursuit of maximizing students’ wellbeing and education.

While ethnic studies may seem like a nebulous pursuit, particularly for younger students, we can visualize it through Terry Kawi’s metaphor of windows and mirrors. According to Kawi, an English and Language Arts teacher from California, racially-inclusive education would provide both windows — frames through which students experience cultures and lives apart from their own — and mirrors — opportunities for students to see themselves reflected in the narratives that they learn — in their pursuit of a balanced education.

Beyond the benefits that racially inclusive curricula yield for students, K-12 ethnic studies in Massachusetts may just be the catalyst for a sustainable push for the subject at Harvard. Preventing burnout and sustaining momentum as we fight for a formalized Ethnic Studies curriculum at the College requires a student body confident in the field’s pedagogical value. If we know that ethnic studies programs at the primary and secondary levels work to uplift students and drive engagement, expanding these frameworks at the K-12 level could help the department find a stronger footing at Harvard.

Perhaps this doesn’t concern you — perhaps you may not see the need for a specialized Ethnic Studies department at Harvard. After all, why is this specific educational niche one that we ought to promote?

Harvard is synonymous with the gold standard. Whether we as students agree with its educational relevance or not, Harvard is the paragon of academic excellence. Our curricular offerings run the gamut, and at a school where every admitted class of students currently on campus is majority non-white, the absence of a department devoted to the critical analysis of our student body’s diverse racial and ethnic perspectives is inexcusable.

Whether one chooses to study Ethnic Studies at Harvard or not, the existence of a department on campus that willfully and rigorously investigates corrupted historical, scientific, and political narratives is critical. The only way that Harvard will continue to live up to its academic reputation is to develop students and push forth a curriculum that embodies critical, constant questioning.

We must recognize that the lack of Ethnic Studies on campus is symptomatic of a national unfamiliarity with and antagonism to critical education on race and ethnicity. Absent rigorous educational reform at the K-12 level (through legislation like the Massachusetts State Act to Promote Racially Inclusive Curriculum in Schools), Harvard students may continue to arrive on our campus lacking the cultural competence and complete education necessary to appreciate and sustain our diverse community.

We know that empowering younger students with the windows and mirrors to see their own experiences and the experiences of others reflected in their education yields remarkably positive educational outcomes. So perhaps it’s time for us organizing for Ethnic Studies to expand our audience, vying not only for a balanced education at Harvard, but also for the Harvard students of tomorrow.

Rhys Moon ’26, a Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Matthews Hall.