Abstract
Perhaps the greatest purpose of artistic expression is trying to make sense of the human experience. Art and storytelling construct and transform our realities. They take the noise of seemingly endless stimuli in our physical existence and identify patterns and meanings, and in so doing, wield incredible power. This is the exact reason censorship is a useful tool to the status quo and reactive. The state of Iowa put this tool to use in 2021 with the passage of House File 802, the law restricting so-called “divisive concepts” and the ability to explore systemic oppression in schools (Iowa Legislative Services Agency). The unnecessary restriction of learning categorized as “divisive” impeded critical thinking and disproportionately censored LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors. With scant support or direction from educational authorities and little hope of legal repeal, educators attempted to navigate the hostile environment of questionably banned books, inhumane treatment of students, and severely diminished curricula.
Author Biography
Petra J. Lange
Petra J. Lange serves as an assistant professor of education at Grinnell College and loves learning from student-led, anti-racist collectives; culturally and historically responsive scholars; and educators whose praxis resists dehumanization for themselves and their students. Teaching for 20 years in Central Iowa has provided countless opportunities to be amazed and humbled by the resiliency and brilliance of students and their educators.
Erin Perry
Erin Perry has been teaching English Language Arts for more than 20 years. Erin was previously a high school teacher in Iowa, but anti-trans legislation drove her out of Iowa to Massachusetts, where she now learns far too much about Gen Z and Alpha memes as a 7th grade teacher.
greg wickenkamp
A life-long Iowan, greg wickenkamp has served as a classroom teacher, wilderness guide, non-profit worker, and university lecturer. His experiences in teaching have been covered in the Washington Post, Slate, and CNN. Curious about how education might be liberatory, greg earned a Master of Arts in the Social Foundations of Education, graduate certificates in educating for social justice and African American studies, and is currently pursuing a PhD in history at the University of Iowa. He is a proud member of UE local 896.
Recommended Citation
Lange, P. J.,
Perry, E.,
&
wickenkamp, g.
(2025).
Crawl spaces to productive ruptures: a reflection to remember speculative futures.
Occasional Paper Series,
(53).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1547
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Methods Commons
