2023 Theses Master's

Written in Invisible Ink, Yearning for Color: An Analysis of Mainstreaming Women of Color in the K-12 American School System

Choksi, Rabiah

Society is remiss if it does not study the social and political context in which laws have been developed, as well as their historical antecedents. There is currently a lacuna in the nationwide historical literature that needs to be filled. In the K–12 American education system, women have long been overlooked in canonical historical narratives. Despite the fact that women make up more than half the world’s population, social studies curricula largely overlook and underrepresent their stories and perspectives, which in turn marginalizes their voices, positions of power, and influence throughout the larger society.

This gap in literature is also more deeply felt regarding the histories of women of color, thus mandating an emphasis on intersectional feminism in curriculum. Through content analysis of two secondary social studies textbooks, published interviews, and published classroom observations, this study seeks to determine the extent to which women of color’s histories are prevalent in teachings today and its effects on women’s rights.