The Winona State University Inclusion and Diversity Office will host James Loewen, sociologist and author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong,” at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10, at the Rochester Public Library, and at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the East Hall of Kryzsko Commons.
Loewen spent two years at the Smithsonian Institute surveying twelve leading high school American History textbooks. What he found was a mixture of bland optimism, blind patriotism and misinformation.
In response, Loewen wrote “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” a critique of existing books and a retelling of American history as it should – and could – be taught to American students. Beginning with pre-Columbian American history and covering characters and events as diverse as Reconstruction, Helen Keller, the first Thanksgiving, and the My Lai massacre, Loewen supplies the conflict, suspense, unresolved drama and connection with current-day issues missing from many textbook accounts.
This event is free and open to the public, and co-sponsored by WSU Rochester, WSU Winona, WSU College of Education, Southeast Technical College, and Anoka Ramsey Community College.
For more information, contact Alex Hines at 507-457-5595 or email AHines@winona.edu.
