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Those Who Do Not Know History...
Pulitzer Prize winning commentator Leonard Pitts Jr. warns of the pervasive ignorance of American history in our society, from average citizens to the political elite. Pitts cites the 2000 ACTA study, "Losing America's Memory: Historical Illiteracy in the 21st Century," which found that a majority of college seniors could not identify the significance of many defining American moments. For instance, most could not identify the words of the Gettysburg Address. ACTA's 2010 report What Will They Learn? concludes that of the 766 colleges and universities evaluated fewer than 20 percent required a survey course in American history or government. "[O]ur history is the master narrative of who we are," Pitts writes, "And we allow all that to be forgotten at our own peril."
Posted by mbrindle on June 10, 2011 at June 10, 2011 02:53 PM
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