Bringing our history to light can improve our students’ futures

In November 2021, the Institute for Education Innovation (IEI) held its Fall Superintendent Summit at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.V.–some of the gorgeous resorts within the U.S.

But as with lots of the nation’s iconic landmarks, from The White House to Harvard University, the legacy of The Greenbrier is immediately tied to the best stain on our nation’s legacy: the enslavement of Black folks. During the Summit, we invited Toni Ogden and Janice Cooley of the Greenbrier County Historical Society to present a historic context of our environment.

The authentic resort was in-built 1858 largely by enslaved folks, and as late as 1910, when the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway acquired the property, the corporate continued to exploit Black staff. African American workers members have been anticipated to cater to the whims of white friends within the model of the outdated plantations earlier than returning residence to overwhelming poverty.

While The Greenbrier goes out of its means to welcome all guests as we speak, that history nonetheless silently lingers all through the grounds, impacting some greater than others primarily based on their identification and lived experiences. An instance of the resort’s legacy might be noticed within the sports activities bar the place a number of portraits of star athletes lined the partitions—all of whom have been white. It’s most likely the one sports activities bar outdoors of Boston that has an image of Larry Bird, however no image of Magic. 

Several convention attendees of shade, myself included, expressed an unease each time we ventured outdoors our tightknit group. White attendees, like Doug, my co-facilitator and co-author, could not have been on the receiving finish of the cautious gazes of different resort patrons, however they noticed the phenomenon, which grew to become a topic of debate amongst the IEI group—each by way of the weekend and in our day by day lives as educators.