SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
Cambridge, Massachusetts student Cece Walsh declined to list any "positive" effects of imperialism on her homework assignment, arguing that the assignment "appeared to downplay the killing of Africans and the pillaging of their lands and resources by using phrases about how the Europeans 'obtained land' or merely 'took control' of colonies." (Photo: Twitter/@CallaWalsh)
A Massachusetts student's response to a homework assignment went viral Tuesday after the high schooler refused to list "positive effects of imperialism" but included a long list of its negative impacts on communities throughout history.
Cece Walsh, a 15-year-old student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, a public high school outside Boston, thought of numerous harmful effects of governments which expanding their influence and power by force, including the "genocide of Indigenous peoples," slavery, "destruction of cultures and traditions," "forced religion," and the exploitation of the planet.
The worksheet her older sister posted on Twitter Monday--which has been shared more than 18,000 times on the platform by Wednesday morning--showed her vehement disagreement with being asked to consider imperialism's supposed benefits.
\u201cMY LITTLE SISTER\u2019S HISTORY TEACHER IS MAKING THEM LIST THE \u201cPOSITIVE EFFECTS\u201d OF IMPERIALISM??????\u201d— Calla (@Calla) 1647962257
"I think that asking us to identify positives of imperialism, something that killed thousands and contributed to slavery, is extremely undermining and disrespectful to people whose ancestors were murdered because of colonization," wrote Walsh on the bottom of the page.
Walsh reported that her history teacher "agreed" with her statement about the question and explained that "he was teaching the text because it was part of the state's curriculum, but he planned to introduce other texts with different perspectives soon."
Walsh's sister argued on Twitter that the assignment is evidence that Republicans' crusade against discussions of anti-racism in public schools is only an extreme version of "racist, imperialist revisionism" in U.S. schools.
On Wednesday, Cambridge Public Schools released a statement saying Walsh was completing an assignment "designed to spark a conversation and to teach students how to critically think about how imperialism is written about."
\u201cNEW: Cambridge Public Schools describes this assignment in a statement, saying the unit "is designed to spark a conversation and to teach students how to critically think about how imperialism is written about."\n\nFull statement:\u201d— Christopher Gavin (@Christopher Gavin) 1648038949
Walsh told the Boston Globe that she felt the assignment "appeared to downplay the killing of Africans and the pillaging of their lands and resources by using phrases about how the Europeans 'obtained land' or merely 'took control' of colonies."
"The positive effects are often only positive for the oppressors," Walsh added.
Educator Collin Radix-Carter argued that Walsh showed she was "thinking critically" about imperialism, as the school district said it wanted students to.
Walsh "obviously didn't think there is a positive to imperialism, probably after thinking and reading through the material," Radix-Carter said. "Thinking critically is not regurgitating what you read or hear."
\u201c@Mickelli38 @TheMongo @CallaWalsh And this student did. Read what they wrote at the bottom. They obviously didn\u2019t think there is a positive to imperialism, probably after thinking and reading through the material. Thinking critically is not regurgitating what you read or hear.\u201d— Calla (@Calla) 1647968004
Marisa Natale, another educator, wrote that "you can teach critical thinking without opening doors for students to 'both-sides' things like slavery and imperialism."
"That is the opposite of critical thinking," she added.
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
A Massachusetts student's response to a homework assignment went viral Tuesday after the high schooler refused to list "positive effects of imperialism" but included a long list of its negative impacts on communities throughout history.
Cece Walsh, a 15-year-old student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, a public high school outside Boston, thought of numerous harmful effects of governments which expanding their influence and power by force, including the "genocide of Indigenous peoples," slavery, "destruction of cultures and traditions," "forced religion," and the exploitation of the planet.
The worksheet her older sister posted on Twitter Monday--which has been shared more than 18,000 times on the platform by Wednesday morning--showed her vehement disagreement with being asked to consider imperialism's supposed benefits.
\u201cMY LITTLE SISTER\u2019S HISTORY TEACHER IS MAKING THEM LIST THE \u201cPOSITIVE EFFECTS\u201d OF IMPERIALISM??????\u201d— Calla (@Calla) 1647962257
"I think that asking us to identify positives of imperialism, something that killed thousands and contributed to slavery, is extremely undermining and disrespectful to people whose ancestors were murdered because of colonization," wrote Walsh on the bottom of the page.
Walsh reported that her history teacher "agreed" with her statement about the question and explained that "he was teaching the text because it was part of the state's curriculum, but he planned to introduce other texts with different perspectives soon."
Walsh's sister argued on Twitter that the assignment is evidence that Republicans' crusade against discussions of anti-racism in public schools is only an extreme version of "racist, imperialist revisionism" in U.S. schools.
On Wednesday, Cambridge Public Schools released a statement saying Walsh was completing an assignment "designed to spark a conversation and to teach students how to critically think about how imperialism is written about."
\u201cNEW: Cambridge Public Schools describes this assignment in a statement, saying the unit "is designed to spark a conversation and to teach students how to critically think about how imperialism is written about."\n\nFull statement:\u201d— Christopher Gavin (@Christopher Gavin) 1648038949
Walsh told the Boston Globe that she felt the assignment "appeared to downplay the killing of Africans and the pillaging of their lands and resources by using phrases about how the Europeans 'obtained land' or merely 'took control' of colonies."
"The positive effects are often only positive for the oppressors," Walsh added.
Educator Collin Radix-Carter argued that Walsh showed she was "thinking critically" about imperialism, as the school district said it wanted students to.
Walsh "obviously didn't think there is a positive to imperialism, probably after thinking and reading through the material," Radix-Carter said. "Thinking critically is not regurgitating what you read or hear."
\u201c@Mickelli38 @TheMongo @CallaWalsh And this student did. Read what they wrote at the bottom. They obviously didn\u2019t think there is a positive to imperialism, probably after thinking and reading through the material. Thinking critically is not regurgitating what you read or hear.\u201d— Calla (@Calla) 1647968004
Marisa Natale, another educator, wrote that "you can teach critical thinking without opening doors for students to 'both-sides' things like slavery and imperialism."
"That is the opposite of critical thinking," she added.
A Massachusetts student's response to a homework assignment went viral Tuesday after the high schooler refused to list "positive effects of imperialism" but included a long list of its negative impacts on communities throughout history.
Cece Walsh, a 15-year-old student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, a public high school outside Boston, thought of numerous harmful effects of governments which expanding their influence and power by force, including the "genocide of Indigenous peoples," slavery, "destruction of cultures and traditions," "forced religion," and the exploitation of the planet.
The worksheet her older sister posted on Twitter Monday--which has been shared more than 18,000 times on the platform by Wednesday morning--showed her vehement disagreement with being asked to consider imperialism's supposed benefits.
\u201cMY LITTLE SISTER\u2019S HISTORY TEACHER IS MAKING THEM LIST THE \u201cPOSITIVE EFFECTS\u201d OF IMPERIALISM??????\u201d— Calla (@Calla) 1647962257
"I think that asking us to identify positives of imperialism, something that killed thousands and contributed to slavery, is extremely undermining and disrespectful to people whose ancestors were murdered because of colonization," wrote Walsh on the bottom of the page.
Walsh reported that her history teacher "agreed" with her statement about the question and explained that "he was teaching the text because it was part of the state's curriculum, but he planned to introduce other texts with different perspectives soon."
Walsh's sister argued on Twitter that the assignment is evidence that Republicans' crusade against discussions of anti-racism in public schools is only an extreme version of "racist, imperialist revisionism" in U.S. schools.
On Wednesday, Cambridge Public Schools released a statement saying Walsh was completing an assignment "designed to spark a conversation and to teach students how to critically think about how imperialism is written about."
\u201cNEW: Cambridge Public Schools describes this assignment in a statement, saying the unit "is designed to spark a conversation and to teach students how to critically think about how imperialism is written about."\n\nFull statement:\u201d— Christopher Gavin (@Christopher Gavin) 1648038949
Walsh told the Boston Globe that she felt the assignment "appeared to downplay the killing of Africans and the pillaging of their lands and resources by using phrases about how the Europeans 'obtained land' or merely 'took control' of colonies."
"The positive effects are often only positive for the oppressors," Walsh added.
Educator Collin Radix-Carter argued that Walsh showed she was "thinking critically" about imperialism, as the school district said it wanted students to.
Walsh "obviously didn't think there is a positive to imperialism, probably after thinking and reading through the material," Radix-Carter said. "Thinking critically is not regurgitating what you read or hear."
\u201c@Mickelli38 @TheMongo @CallaWalsh And this student did. Read what they wrote at the bottom. They obviously didn\u2019t think there is a positive to imperialism, probably after thinking and reading through the material. Thinking critically is not regurgitating what you read or hear.\u201d— Calla (@Calla) 1647968004
Marisa Natale, another educator, wrote that "you can teach critical thinking without opening doors for students to 'both-sides' things like slavery and imperialism."
"That is the opposite of critical thinking," she added.