The Past is Always Present: Illuminating LGBTQ History
Summary
In 2024, History UnErased committed to developing and disseminating high-quality, primary source-based, LGBTQ-inclusive secondary and post-secondary history, civics, and social studies learning materials to 1.5 million U.S. students over the course of three years. In response to decreasing U.S. student knowledge of civics, this commitment will educate and empower students with deeper understanding of LGBTQ-related topics, improving their historical literacy and enhancing the well-being of LGBTQ students and educators. Relying on libraries, archives, and educational institutions nationwide, as well as state and local print and digital archives of LGBTQ-inclusive primary sources, this commitment will work with partners to produce 15 case studies, 15 podcast episodes, an original play script dramatizing the hidden histories of LGBTQ Americans, and 15 fully produced video segments as well as an accompanying research language guide for classroom teachers. These materials will reach students through History UnErased’s “Intersections & Connections” instructional resource library and public dissemination through committed affiliations and networks.
Approach
From October 2024 to September 2027, develop and disseminate high-quality, primary source-based, LGBTQ-inclusive content with unique modalities for secondary and post-secondary contexts and for the public at large, including: 15 case studies, 15 podcast episodes, an original play script dramatizing the hidden histories of LGBTQ Americans, and 15 fully produced video segments that will catalyze the dramatic action onstage to provide context, as well as introduce the case study content, and an accompanying research language guide for classroom teachers.
With the committed support of libraries, archives, and educational institutions nationwide, research state and local print and digital archives of LGBTQ-inclusive primary sources, engage in regularly scheduled meetings with History UnErased and partner organizations, curriculum writing and editing, script writing and editing, expanding the Art of the Podcast Youth Equity residency to student groups in midwestern and southern states in partnership with Houses on the Moon Theater Company, applying feedback from educators piloting the case studies, website management and curriculum platform modifications to include “The Past Is Always Present” materials within History UnErased’s “Intersections & Connections” instructional resource library, and public dissemination through committed affiliations and networks with a direct reach of upwards of 1,500,000.
“The Past Is Always Present” will infuse the expertise of historians, creative artists, archivists, and teachers to create an innovative method to share primary source materials that educate and empower students and the community at large with a broader reflection of United States history, from Colonial America to the 21st Century, and illustrate the historical path and progression of LGBTQ-related topics that surround us all in today’s world. Their expertise encompasses various vantage points in the education landscape, as well as leadership in the teaching of history, civics, and social studies, archival research, curriculum development, multimedia content creation, performance art, and project management.
Action Plan
Year One (October 2024- September 2025) implementation:
October 2024 – April 2025: Research of LGBTQ-inclusive primary sources at the Library of Congress, National Archives, National Park Service, and state and local archives in midwestern and southern states, meetings with History UnErased and Houses on the Moon, and development of the original play script, animated videos, and case studies.
April – July 2025: Initial drafts of the original play script, five case studies, and five animated videos are completed and disseminated to educators and theater groups for piloting, including viBe youth theater groups for LGBTQ BIPOC girls; feedback from pilot educators and theater groups.
August – September 2025: Website developed and shared with distribution partners; National Council for the Social Studies markets, hosts, and facilitates an introduction to “The Past Is Always Present;” Outreach to secure five groups of secondary-level students in midwestern and southern states to participate in the Art of the Podcast residency.
Year Two (October 2025 – September 2026) implementation:
October 2025 – April 2026: Second phase of primary source research.
October – December 2025: Continued podcast residency outreach.
February – April 2026: Virtual tours of primary sources from local and state archives highlighting the connections to a broader story of American history.
April – June 2026: Modified play script, five case studies, and five animated videos are completed and disseminated; Record History UnErased’s Youth Equity Podcast episodes to capture their process of exploring and learning from the primary sources and its impact on their understanding of United States history.
July – September 2026: Feedback from educators’ pilots complete; website development complete and shared;. Outreach for second cohort of podcast residents.
Year Three (October 2026- September 2027) October 2026 – April 2027: Third phase of primary source research. .
October – December 2026: Outreach for third cohort of podcast residents.
February – April 2027: Second phase of virtual primary source tours;script modifications completed and disseminated..
May – September 2027: Record additional History UnErased Youth Equity Podcast episodes; materials continue being distributed through partner networks.
Background
As the United States continues to develop its awareness of the profound need for LGBTQ-inclusive history, civics, and social studies, “The Past Is Always Present” is a dynamic method of creating and presenting academic content that offers a unique opportunity to provide all stakeholders in K-12 education, especially students in midwestern and southern states, with concepts they otherwise may miss or misunderstand. And, as new and emerging efforts are underway to digitize LGBTQ primary sources alongside both the growing number of states mandating the teaching of LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum – and the exponentially greater number of states introducing discriminatory laws and policies targeting the LGBTQ community – “The Past Is Always Present” is an empowering education initiative to elevate state and local LGBTQ history where students are currently denied the opportunity to learn a more accurate reflection of the story of America.
In May of 2023, the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed test scores showed a marked drop in students’ knowledge of U.S. Civics and History, which started declining in 2014. The profound need to improve the history, civics, and social studies education all students receive with LGBTQ-inclusive academic content as a teaching and learning initiative, as well as a behavior-analytic, antecedent intervention to mitigate health disparities for LGBTQ-identifying youth, is critical in today’s world. Also, anecdotally from History UnErased’s vantage point, direct experience indicates how life-affirming and life-changing LGBTQ-inclusive history education has been for countless students and educators alike. Most importantly, this visibility and representation in the education all students receive can also be life-saving.
Elevating LGBTQ primary sources from state and local archives and the freedom to learn are central to the full scope and vision of “The Past Is Always Present,” with a concentrated effort in midwestern and southern states.
Progress Update
Partnership Opportunities
History UnErased is seeking additional financial resources to ensure “The Past Is Always Present” is a successful project as well as seeking additional partners and media support to share its products widely., Topic expertise through the dissemination of multimodal materials designed for independent engagement as well as engagement in formal classroom settings and non-traditional educational experiences. Example of how “The Past Is Always Present” will share topic expertise: In 2023, History UnErased partnered with Patrick Sammon and Bennett Singer, the filmmakers of the Emmy-nominated, award-winning PBS documentary CURED, to develop a 35-minute classroom version of the film and accompanying teaching materials. The materials were piloted by 12 classroom educators who provided feedback on the ease of integration of the materials and relayed feedback from students, which informed further edits of the content and pedagogical approaches. The publicly available materials for “CURED for the Classroom” are available at https://unerased.org/resource/cured. “The Past Is Always Present” will have a similar page to easily share, access, and download. Our committed partners will link “The Past Is Always Present” via their distribution methods.