The United States Department of Education displayed a banner in front of its building on March 1. The banner contained 3 individuals ‘connected’ to education. Included in the banner were names associated with the history of education including Booker T. Washington and Catharine Beecher. However, Charlie Kirk; political activist and commentator, was included in the banner. Many questions have arisen regarding how Charlie Kirk was selected to be included in the banner as well as why he was selected.
Washington was a pivotal contributor to expanding education in the United States by establishing the Tuskegee Institute. Much of Washington’s professional career was centered around the improvement of equal opportunities for all students as well as the expansion of access to quality education for black students. Catherine Beecher was another prominent educator who played a role in the educational history of the United States. She was an advocate for women to become educators and advocate for expanded educational opportunities for women in the 1800s. Both individuals made a positive impact on education and enabled the opportunity for students to learn.
However, Charlie Kirk is best known for something different. He is the founder of Turning Point USA and is generally known as a political activist and commentator. His primary focus of work has been the promotion and commentating on political issues at colleges and universities as well as online. Regardless of if one agrees or disagrees with Charlie Kirk’s views, he is influential due to the area of politics, not due to him being involved in the education process.
As a result, it is unusual to see his face on the same banner as people such as Booker T. Washington and Catharine Beecher. When the Department of Education chooses to promote and acknowledge historical figures, most people expect those figures to have made a significant contribution to education. Washington established schools and increased access to education. Beecher developed the role of teachers in America. These are clear connections to education.
Kirk’s connection is less obvious. Additionally, his lack of graduation from college further confuses the issue. It is not wrong to decide not to complete a degree and many successful individuals follow non-traditional paths in life. However, when the Department of Education chooses to recognize an individual that primarily works in political activism alongside major contributors to education, it raises questions about what criteria the Department will be using.
In addition, this choice implies that the banner is more political than educational. Typically, educational institutions choose to recognize individuals who have assisted in the development of schools, provided additional access to learning, or contributed to the advancement of teaching and research. Choosing to recognize someone that is primarily known for their political activism is a distraction from the achievements that educational institutions normally recognize.
This does not indicate that individuals cannot support or agree with Charlie Kirk. Undoubtedly, there are many people that do and he has built a considerable amount of a platform based upon that support. However, political influence is not comparable to making a long-lasting positive contribution to education. The Department of Education should be recognizing individuals who have positively impacted learning and the growth of schools.
Overall, it’s inappropriate to place Charlie Kirk’s name on the Department of Education banner alongside Booker T. Washington and Catharine Beecher. Booker T. Washington and Catharine Beecher were committed throughout their lives to ensuring that every U.S. citizen has access to high-quality education. It would severely lessen the value of the recognition and cause confusion about the intent behind the banner when an individual is placed on the banner for reasons that are mainly based on political commentary rather than contributions to educational systems. Therefore, I believe that educational institutions should focus their attention on recognizing and honoring those who have contributed significantly to the establishment of educational systems in the United States.
