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Teaching the Bard and Exploring Racism The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research Volume 22 Article 3 2021 Shakespeare in the Wake of #BlackLivesMatter: Teaching the Bard and Exploring Racism Kathryn S. Kelly St. John Fisher College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur Part of the Education Commons, and the English Language and Literature Commons How has open access to Fisher Digital Publications benefited ou?y Recommended Citation Kelly, Kathryn S.. "Shakespeare in the Wake of #BlackLivesMatter: Teaching the Bard and Exploring Racism." The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research 22 (2021): -. Web. [date of access]. <https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/vol22/iss1/3>. This document is posted at https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/vol22/iss1/3 and is brought to you for free and open access by Fisher Digital Publications at St. John Fisher College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Shakespeare in the Wake of #BlackLivesMatter: Teaching the Bard and Exploring Racism Abstract This essay examines the ways in which teachers (specifically pre-service teachers) can approach teaching Shakespeare’s work in a culturally responsive manner in order to promote anti-racism and social awareness in the classroom, school community, and the world. This proposal for teaching Shakespeare includes a case study of Othello that is designed according to the principles in the Social Justice Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (SJPACK) framework created by Jeanne Dyches and Ashley Boyd to prepare pre-service teachers for the discussions about race they will someday facilitate with their students. The framework focuses on teaching the history of racism in the Early Modern era and comparing it to racism today (and to Othello) and teaching other texts, written by authors of color, beside Othello, and asking students to consider the themes and ideas that the two texts share. The last suggestion is that students should be exposed to literary criticism regarding Othello, prompting them to develop their own beliefs and readings of the text, especially in terms of racism. Based on research, I conclude that teaching Shakespeare is critical in contributing to a middle school or high school student’s understanding of the history of racism in the western world and offering them the tools and knowledge to combat racism and white supremacy in their own communities. This article is available in The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research: https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/ur/ vol22/iss1/3 Kelly: Shakespeare in the Wake of #BLM: Teaching the Bard and Exploring Racism Shakespeare in the Wake of #BlackLivesMatter: Teaching the Bard and Exploring Racism Kathryn Kelly Abstract: This essay examines the ways in which teachers (specifically pre-service teachers) can approach teaching Shakespeare’s work in a culturally responsive manner in order to promote anti-racism and social awareness in the classroom, school community, and the world. This proposal for teaching Shakespeare includes a case study of Othello that is designed according to the principles in the Social Justice Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (SJPACK) framework created by Jeanne Dyches and Ashley Boyd to prepare pre-service teachers for the discussions about race they will someday facilitate with their students. The framework focuses on teaching the history of racism in the Early Modern era and comparing it to racism today (and to Othello) and teaching other texts, written by authors of color, beside Othello, and asking students to consider the themes and ideas that the two texts share. The last suggestion is that students should be exposed to literary criticism regarding Othello, prompting them to develop their own beliefs and readings of the text, especially in terms of racism. Based on research, I conclude that teaching Shakespeare is critical in contributing to a middle school or high school student’s understanding of the history of racism in the western world and offering them the tools and knowledge to combat racism and white supremacy in their own communities. In 1822 during a performance of Othello, a “the passion of Desdemona for Othello is U.S. soldier shot the actor playing Othello, unnatural, solely and exclusively because exclaiming, “It will never be said that in my of his color,” and because of this “her presence a confounded Negro has killed a elopement to him, and secret marriage white woman!” (qtd in McDonald and Orlin with him, indicate a personal character 1106). This event took place roughly forty not only very deficient in delicacy, but years before the Emancipation Proclamation totally regardless of filial duty, of female was issued, so the actor in question was a modesty, and of indigenous shame.” (qtd. white man in black-face (McDonald and in Shapiro 2) Orlin 1106). There seems to be a revealing Adams places the blame of miscegenation social pattern that centers on Shakespeare’s on Desdemona rather than her husband. He representation of race relations—that doesn’t see Desdemona as a heroine. revelation being the public disgust exhibited Instead, he views her as a young woman by the racists who encountered his work. who has become lost to the beliefs and Shakespeare’s texts have generated several customs of her family due to her socially controversial discussions about racism in and racially blinding relationship with America. During John Quincy Adams’ Othello, her husband. Shakespeare’s work presidency, he invited British actress Franny generated high-profile discussions about Kemble to dinner, where he relates to her race centuries ago, and I believe it’s still that “Othello was disgusting, King Lear valuable to have these conversations today, ludicrous, and Romeo and Juliet childish as these texts still have a place among the nonsense” (Shapiro 7). In Adams’ essay shelves of high school and middle school “The Character of Desdemona,” which was English classrooms across the nation. likely written in response to his dinner However, these discussions should take an conversation with Kemble, he asserts that: anti-racist approach unlike Adams’. 1 Published by Fisher Digital Publications, 2021 1 The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research, Vol. 22 [2021], Art. 3 The Review, Vol. 22 (2021) Before we explore racism in Shakespeare’s history, as only 5% of the exam was texts, I want to acknowledge the connection predicted to focus on the topic. This was between Black literary criticism and the only four years ago. I attended high school Black Lives Matter Movement to the in a predominantly white suburban town; it playwright’s work. In 1992 American author wasn’t surprising when no one objected to and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison his comment, although I’m sure I wasn’t the published her first work of literary criticism only student who felt uncomfortable. What titled Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and followed this comment was not a discussion the Literary Imagination. Through this text regarding the pervasiveness of white-washed Morrison explores ideas such as history, but rather a grim sense of “Africanism,” the notion that Black acceptance and another question about the literature hasn’t influenced or been included content of the standardized test. This in the American literary canon, and how incident should light a fire under the chairs Black characters and communities are of pre-service education students. Our presented through the perspectives of white curricula need to include the memories of all authors. The title of the first chapter of her students, of all Americans, rather than just text is “Black Matters,” a strange those that exalt white Americans’ premonition of the state of our country in achievements. Through the examination of 2020. We find ourselves again in the midst literature, students have the opportunity to of the Black Lives Matter movement, experience and empathize with the history fighting against racist institutions that Black they are being taught. I want to ensure that Americans have been struggling against for the literature I teach doesn’t paint a centuries. Morrison’s first chapter title was whitewashed version of that history. no accident; “matters” refers to some While I agree that some deep-cleaning of intangible list of grievances in regard to the our high school curricula needs to be done, I United States’s treatment of its Black also think that Shakespeare’s work needs to residents and a reminder that Black voices remain on the syllabi. Reading his work in must be heard and uplifted. These two words tandem with writers of color will only prove are strung together to remind us that Black beneficial to our students. My intention is lives are significant, unique, and influential not to use Shakespeare as a way to teach in our modern world and need to be treated about racism in America—that should be as such. discussed all year, especially with texts As a pre-service education student, I am written by Black authors. However, concerned about the lack of diverse Shakespeare’s representations of race representation in our history curricula, as it provide an originary perspective on the doesn’t seem that concerns have changed history of race and white supremacy. since Morrison’s time. A white supremacist Learning about the history of racism allows version of history has been taught in for students to see that it is indeed a social secondary schools for centuries, but public construct and that perhaps it can be memory is still coming into focus. The unraveled as quickly as it was created. experiences
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