Geraldine Portica might have known the risks every day when she wore a dress. In a 1917 portrait, she wears a dress and a wide-brimmed hat. She stands with one hand on her hip as her other hand extends the loose fabric of her skirt as if to show its cut.
While the Trump administration has continued in its campaign to expunge queer people and their histories from federal websites and monuments in recent months, this year’s Pride Month celebrations show that the LGBTQ+ community will not be quietly erased or sidelined. Celebrating the history of trans and queer resistance is more important than ever, and Professor Wendy Rouse of San Jose State University has written an excellent new blog on the subject for Pride Month.
In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill No. 800, which designates the first week of May as “Workplace Readiness Week” in California high schools. AB800 requires that all California eleventh and twelfth-grade students be taught their rights in the workplace. This type of instruction is incredibly important.
February is Black History Month, and, at UC Davis, Black Futures Month, which represents the “campus community’s commitment to remembering, celebrating, and learning from the proud history of Black Americans and the promising future of all scholars who continue to bring innovation and excellence to our society.”
Happy holidays to all who celebrate — and happy holiday break to all the teachers in our network! We hope you can all take the break you deserve and spend some downtime relaxing or enjoying the company of family and friends.
In the spirit of spending time with loved ones, we’ve chosen to focus this month’s newsletter on community history. Listed below are some teaching resources and reading recommendations that center family and community stories. Click on any of the links to learn more!
Over the past two years, the California Subject Matter Project (CSMP) has been helping design professional development for the rollout of UTK, or Universal Transitional Kindergarten.
In partnership with California Revealed, we are working with two high school teachers to develop inquiry-based teaching resources that will connect students with archival sources hosted by California Revealed.
