These are my notes from Liz Davis’ presentation “Local History: Universal Truths – Exploring and enriching Hometowns at the March 24, 2025 NCMLE ‘Middle School Matters’ Conference.
MY THOUGHT AND REFLECTIONS ARE IN ALL CAPS.
Liz teaches at Pollard Middle School in Chatham County Schools
Liz grew up in Wilmington and knew very little about its history until college when she got a history degree
- It doesn’t make you a bad person to learn
- We need to seek truth in our social studies classroom
- History seems to be up for debate these days
Proud grad of New Hanover High School Class of 2015, “New Hanover High School” in Wilmington, NC
Decided to major in US history after they did away with US history major at UNC
History 367: North Carolina History
Wilmington 1898
Wilmington 10 (1970)
Why did I have to move away from home to learn about Wilmington?
Wilmington Massacre: The only successful coup d’état in US history where white supremacists overthrew a democratically elected government
- I didn’t know the historical significance of any of the buildings
I shouldn’t have had to wait till I was 27 to figure out where I came from!
Why teach local history?
What should we keep in mind teaching local history?
How do we embark on this endeavor?
Naysayers might say….
- What if students move?
- Shouldn’t we focus on ‘the big picture?’
- “Why waste time on North Carolina when we could be talking about significant things that happen across the country?”
Local history provides students with pieces of connection, to find purpose in the material and what they are learning
- It is so hard to get students to connect with the material
- Students are desperate for purpose, for connection (to anything) and teaching locally can make everything more real!
Students can learn about how local people were RESILIENT and might have even fought back in difficult times
Our standard are SPIRALED, so students will receive in-depth US history as part of their high school requirements
- No end of course exam!
- Chance to hook and engage students!
- Design curriculum in a way that feels special for those students in the room
- This is a unique time for students
2nd highest number of lynchings in our town of _____
Example of standard:
8.H.1.4: “Explain how recovery, resistance, and resilience to inquiries, injustices, discrimination, prejudice, and bias have shaped the history of North Carolina and the nation.”
- Focusing on the US as whole can be a good place to start, but what if we make it more PERSONAL for our students?!
Example: African Americans in Wilmington
- Copes of the Daily Record can be found in the Cape Fear Museum archives and at the new Hanover County Public Library!
Learning about people like Alexander Lightfoot Manly:
“Alexander Lightfoot Manly (May 13, 1866 – October 5, 1944) was an American newspaper owner and editor who lived in Wilmington, North Carolina.[1] With his brother, Frank G. Manly, as co-owner, he published the Daily Record, the state’s only daily African-American newspaper and possibly the nation’s only black-owned daily newspaper. At the time, the port of Wilmington had 10,000 residents and was the state’s largest city; its population was majority black, with a rising middle class.”
Example from 2017: “Students help bring new light to the Wilmington riots of 1898”
REAL can be exciting, help students connect
- Bring in guest speakers who have a connection to an event
- Physically visit the site of significant moments
- Touch documents and artifacts from the time period
Students in Liz’ high school had relatives on both sides of the Wilmington insurrection
- Real can be challenging
Knowing who is in your classroom is very important: This doesn’t mean we avoid talking about these issues!
- This means we give students TOOLS and SPACE to have a productive and meaningful conversation
- Giving students primary sources is key
Great websites to use:
digitalnc.org
Newspapers.com
Another good resource from a session participant: NC History Case Studies from the Levine Museum of the New South.
Liz shares a variety of social studies curriculum on Teachers Pay Teachers:
Not sure of there good spaces in North Carolina for history and lesson plan sharing in social studies
I WONDER IF THERE IS A HASHTAG THAT NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY TEACHERS ARE USING ON BLUESKY OR OTHER PLATFORMS TO SHARE?
My dream is for students to be interested in history
High school world history classes can become “Honors Coloring” (coloring so many maps for a coach teacher)
When teaching local and controversial history, use as many primary sources as you can
- Lean into primary sources
- Don’t tell students how to think, but ask critical questions
Full Circle Moment: National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) 2024 UNCW institute focused on Wilmington Coup and Massacre of 1898
“The Book of Wilmington” from 1954 (example of primary source written from the perspective of the Wilmington successful insurrectionists)
- Reference to the reading of the “White Declaration of Independence”
PBS October 2024: “When White Supremacists Overthrew a Government”
Mentioned by a participant: Gaston County African American Museum
ldavis [at] chatham.k12.nc.us
Took a class called “My Hometowns” in college, was a big moment
- Learning about the cover up of the Wilmington coup
I MENTIONED THE CHARLOTTE REMEMBRANCE PROJECT AND WEBSITE:
#MSMATTERS2025
Source : Teaching Local History
