Providence public schools’ student body is over 90% students of color, and yet only a handful of PPSD schools offer Ethnic Studies. We have surveyed 130+ students across PPSD schools and 89% of students want Ethnic Studies in their schools. Students’ communities are erased in the histories we are taught, and with only 24% of educators being people of color, the PPSD teacher workforce does not reflect the lived experiences and community histories of the students they teach. 

Youth of color in Providence have been at the forefront of calling for Ethnic Studies, from Providence Student Union’s campaign in 2016 (whose petition gathered 750+ signatures!) and the Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education’s course and teacher development work since 2018, to our current fight for Ethnic Studies: the Our History, Our Schools, Our Future campaign led by youth from the OurSchoolsPVD Alliance.

We define Ethnic Studies as a field of study that critically examines the pervasiveness of race and racism in all aspects of American society. It centers the history and experiences of BIPOC and other racialized groups in the U.S. It also promotes critical thinking on the intersectionality of identities in relation to power, privilege, and oppression (definition from ARISE-led political education workshops). Bringing Ethnic Studies to Providence public schools is not only about creating Ethnic Studies courses, but creating infrastructure for schools to better support and honor the experiences of students, teachers, and communities of color.  

The OurSchoolsPVD demands for Ethnic Studies are:

• We demand adequately trained & supported Ethnic Studies teachers
• We demand more teachers of color each year (20% annual increase)
• We demand curriculum that is integrated into K-12
• We demand expansive curriculum, not repetitive
• We demand this course by a HS grad requirement (core credit)
• We demand project based, not test-based curriculum
• We demand that students have leadership roles in designing, teaching, and evaluating curriculum

We are working to pass a school board resolution this April that calls for the implementation of our demands. This would include the development of a yearlong Ethnic Studies course that would be required for graduation in all PPSD high schools by the 2026-27 school year, as well as the formation of a permanent student-led Ethnic Studies Leadership Council that will partner with PPSD to oversee curriculum development, teacher hiring, teacher training, and course evaluation.

Please sign and share our petition to tell PPSD and RIDE to implement our Ethnic Studies demands! If you are a student, teacher, or community member in Providence and would like to get involved with our campaign, please sign up here. We will be holding an Ethnic Studies Rally and Teach-In on Thursday, May 2, 2024, from 3:00-5:30PM in front of Central High School and at Providence Student Union (find more info and RSVP here). Everyone is welcome–please join us if you can!

OurSchoolsPVD is a youth-led alliance of Providence-based organizations–ARISE, PrYSM, PSU, Youth in Action, Young Voices, Center for Justice, and CYCLE–working together for education justice for PPSD. We came together in 2019 when the state took over Providence public schools to make sure that the people who are the most impacted by what happens in our schools get to have a SAY in what decisions and changes are made.