The Re-Education of D.Rose
WC Blogpost by: D. Rose
*Note to the reader*: Before you begin reading this reflection, I must tell you more about my former middle and high school education. I attended an all-girls school in Los Angeles, California, for seven years. My school aimed to foster an extremely liberal environment where the main goal was to empower the next generation of female leaders. My school’s motto was “ambitious, joyful learning.” I was encouraged to explore my academic passions, challenge the books I read in class, and join or create my own clubs. My school did not offer any Advanced Placement (AP) classes so that teachers could not teach for a test but rather design their own curriculum that fostered critical thinking.
I took classes focused on ethical thinkers such as Kant and Bentham and a class focused on democracy in America. To some extent, I believe that my school did teach me to be ambitious in and outside of the classroom, and I would occasionally learn about topics that were, in fact, joyful. I have to give credit to my school for shaping me into the curious and driven person I am today. The all-girls environment and small class sizes allowed me to share what I believed in without fear of judgment. For seven years, I was assured that my education was revolutionary, unique, and unlike any other high school curriculum in the area. I believed this was true and was always grateful for my education.
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However, it was not until I started college and took classes such as this one: "Women & Crime in the Evolution of American His/Herstory" that I began to reevaluate my former education.
This blog post serves as a reflection of my former education, how I have come to terms with the actualities of my high school education, and the pivotal role that Women and Crime have played in prompting this realization. My all-girls education was supposedly groundbreaking (according to my teachers). They told me that the books we read and lessons taught in class were unique. Given the supportive nature of my school, I could have discussions in my classes about sex, gender, and identity. I would grapple with contemporary issues and try to understand what it was like to be a female growing up in the 21st century. I cried and laughed in my classes. My 11th-grade English class was focused on the concept of American identity. However, the books I read in this class were all written by male readers: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams, and Ray Bradbury. I realized the problems with these books being taught at an all-girls school. I even wrote an essay about how The Great Gatsby should not be taught in my school anymore because of the way it depicts Daisy as a stereotypical subordinate and complacent female who lacks self-worth and relies on her husband to prove it. I do not believe that my all-girls school wanted to empower the next generation of leaders; I never read a single book that had a strong and empowering female protagonist. It was not until taking this class that I learned about courageous and independent women in history. The women we learn about in this class are criminals, but they are also powerful females, which has helped me learn history and it in a new light.
I remember learning about Rosalind Franklin, Sojourner Truth, and other women whom my teachers believed had been overlooked by history. To some extent, these women’s achievements and successes have been forgotten, but they have names, and their stories are still taught or remembered in some way, unlike the unnamed woman who was thrown overboard on Polly. All we have to remember about this nameless woman is “her final scream,” which serves as an “audible reminder of [...] her humanity” (She Must Go Overboard 308). This unnamed woman was robbed of her identity, name, life, and place in history. In contrast to the unnamed woman, the other historical females whom I learned about at school still have had their stories acknowledged. Countless books and documentaries about Franklin and Truth have been made, but the nameless woman’s story was untold and left buried underneath the sea for a multitude of years.
This question has stuck with me since the first day I began this journey of reevaluating my education and confronting the realities of historical omission. Women and girls are remembered by those who teach history. As much as my teachers in high school would try to make history inclusive of the 21st century, their efforts fell short. In school, I was hardly taught about outstanding females in history whom I could look up to. For example, in school, I learned about several famous historical figures like Harriet Tubman and Harriet Robinson Scott. Their stories are inspiring. However, their backgrounds represent one side of history. It was not until taking this class that a new version of history was revealed. Wilma King’s essay: “Mad Enough to Kill: Enslaved Women, Murder, and Southern Courts,” informed me about how “many slaveholding men participated in [the] “rite” of sexually exploiting women (Wilma King 40). In high school, I learned about women who fought for freedom from slavery but never about how they were viewed as “‘chattel property’ and had no civil or legal rights to protect” themselves (Wilma King 41). This just serves as one example of my journey of re-learning history. Given my all-girls education, my 11th-grade history teacher tried her best to include stories of women throughout American History. I vividly remember reading Abigail Adams’s letter “Remember the Ladies” to learn about how women did not have voting rights. However, I did not learn until one week ago that women were beaten by their husbands between the colonial period and after the American Revolution. The journey of rediscovery through Women and Crime has been awe-inspiring. Every day is like a treasure hunt as I unearth new stories and revelations about history. As I continue to grapple with the question of what women and girls are remembered and why; I hope that I can be a part of this journey to champion the stories of those who are forgotten.
It is discouraging to realize that my previous education, which was branded as revolutionary, was not. My education until this point barely scratched the surface of what this class has in two weeks of learning. At 20 years old and countless courses later, I am beyond excited for the rest of this semester. What I am most excited about for this class is how it dares to go where states and government officials try to erase. Everyday education is under attack. Censorship is on the rise, more and more books are being banned, and the erasing of specific topics taught in school makes this class as crucial as ever. I want to learn about topics such as abortion, arson, penitentiaries, and other topics not often taught in school. I am most excited about learning about a new version of history: herstory.
As we delve into the complex narratives of women whose impact on our world is unknown, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement. I am ready to unearth a wealth of knowledge and stories that are currently hidden under the sea. For me, this class is also profoundly personal. So far, the few women I have learned about in history were not criminals and model citizens. Now, learning about women such as Nelly and Celia can offer insights into the complexity of human behaviors and societal norms and teach us lessons. Their stories also can teach us how women faced with unfair power dynamics, poverty, and other dire circumstances were cunning and resourceful. Unlike Daisy in The Great Gatsby, women like Celia dared to fight against men who did not treat them right. I want to continue to learn about women who had the courage to fight against what was wrong. As my learning continues, I am especially excited to learn more about the connection between race and gender and how women are prosecuted. I was fascinated by the story of Tituba and the complexities of her story. Despite attending an all-girls school, I never had discussions about sex or sex workers. I am excited by the idea of learning more about this topic. Another theme I wish to learn more about is how murder and crime are portrayed in the media. It seems that there are countless movies and documentaries made about women who commit crimes. However, many of these movies and documentaries are about white women. I want to explore the relationship between what stories get told in the news and media compared to other stories.
This class will allow me to challenge conventional narratives of history and will serve as a reminder that all women, no matter their criminal record, have shaped the course of history. Their stories deserve to be told. I am excited to continue the journey to learn more about herstory and women who stood up against the institutions of power and were fearless.
Ruth H. Block “The American Revolution, Wife Beating, and the Emergent Value of Privacy” Early American Studies, 2007
“She Must Go Overboard & Shall Go Overboard”: Diseased Bodies and the Spectacle of Murder at Sea” Atlantic Studies, 2011
Wilma King, “Mad Enough to Kill: Enslaved Women, Murder, and Southern Courts” Journal of African American History, 2007
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