In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, I would like to point out something unsettling in the core curriculum at Gonzaga. Gonzaga’s history requirement focuses on survey classes from a white male perspective which perpetuates the systematic racism that infiltrates every part of our society. The history requirement should be expanded to include specific topics that focus on race, ethnicity, and women’s studies either within those core classes or through another focused class. On Gonzaga’s webpage for the degree requirements for the history core requirement, it states “history courses are intended to develop students’ awareness of the historical context of both the individual and the collective human experience. One course in History (HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 112, HIST 201, HIST 202) will fulfill this requirement.” These classes are Western Civ I & II, World Civ 1500 to the present, and U.S. history I & II respectively. When we are focusing on the story of the subjugators and oppressors, we are upholding the system that has silenced these people for years. The Black Lives Matter movement is the response to a system that continues to oppress BIPoC and if we don’t educate ourselves on how this happened, it will not stop. People point to education as the answer to everything and yet here is an example of education failing. It is time to rise up, Black History Matters, Black Lives Matter. CHANGE THE CORE REQUIREMENTS AT GONZAGA!