Exploring 1836: Michael Goodwin Charts a New Course for Social Justice

Michael Goodwin, acclaimed Concord educator and lecturer, sat down with Discover Concord to outline a compelling new course he is teaching on the pivotal year 1836.

Having been an educator for more than 20 years, he has seen time and again that the vast majority of students exiting the public school system emerge ill-equipped to fight for social justice. There are many academic courses that offer students a deep knowledge of the history of a place and time but fail to offer the opportunity to translate history into action by involving students in the real-time life of the community. Conversely, many service programs offer participation in community projects, but often without the backdrop of history and context that allow one to truly understand the place and time.

Sometimes, the best way forward is to look back and learn. And so, Michael created a course focusing on the pivotal year 1836, to bridge that gap. This timeline to the right shows just how much was brewing in the United States in this pivotal year – and these lessons serve as a fantastic springboard to activate real change in our modern time.

Climate change. Systemic racism. Disparity of educational opportunity along socio-economic lines. These are holistic problems that require holistic action. Taking a cue from the change agents of 1836, students will position themselves to intervene in a meaningful way today. As Louis Pasteur once wrote, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”

“Upon being steeped in the content,” offers Goodwin, “students will work collaboratively to design a community-based project that aims to create local and national impact. We will not need screens, because the content lives and breathes all around us. We will not need a schoolhouse, because the world will be our classroom. We will not need administrators, because we will create a self-sustaining community of our own; a community without hierarchy in which we all have a role to play. All we need is trust in one another, a willingness to explore the unknown, and the shared purpose of working towards amelioration.”The course is open to students of all ages - 18 or 81. The more diverse the age range, the richer the experience will be for all. The only prerequisite is a high school diploma, or equivalent. For more information, or to enroll in the course, please visit concord1836.org.