Dear Parents,

Today, we continued our exciting journey through political anthropology by exploring the origins of the political terms “left” and “right” and examining how these concepts have influenced societies and movements for change throughout history.

Our lesson began with a look at the French Revolution, where we discovered that the terms “left” and “right” originated from the seating arrangement in the French National Assembly in 1789. Those advocating for revolutionary change and egalitarianism sat on the left, while those favoring the tradition of the monarchy and social hierarchy sat on the right. This historical context helped students grasp how these terms have come to symbolize different political beliefs today. We expanded on this by discussing four political spectrums ranging from egalitarian (left) to hierarchical (right), covering 1) the political decision-making processes, 2) economic resource distribution, 3) international relations, and 4) rights and privileges among social groups. Students were particularly curious about where contemporary U.S. American politics fits within these spectrums compared to other historical and global contexts. This curiosity sparked lively discussions about how different countries and cultures prioritize these values.

Next, we shifted our focus from conceptualizing change to understanding how change is enacted. We defined social movements, which will be our focus for the rest of the week. We began by learning about the inspiring Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s in the American South, highlighting the significant contributions made right here in Nashville. Students were intrigued by how civil rights leaders were influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s strategies from the Indian independence movement, underscoring the value of learning from and engaging with other cultures.

At the end of the day, students read excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael. This exercise illuminated that even when activists may share similar goals, their strategies and tactics of how we should reach those goals can vary widely. This led to thoughtful discussions about the different paths to achieving social change.

To deepen their understanding, students can watch the rest of the documentary A Force More Powerful. While we focused on the middle section about the Nashville sit-ins today in class, students expressed interest in the first section on Gandhi and and last section on Nelson Mandela.

We hope these activities and discussions will inspire your child to think critically about history, politics, and their role in shaping the future. We look forward to continuing learning with your scholars this week!