Walter Rhein observes and contends, “Truth is a healing spell.”
Walter is correct. Our very words can be powerful. Like the spells of Hogwarts students in Slytherin House or Gryffindor, we have the power to curse or bless with our words. When spoken, those blessings or curses not only affect others, but they affect and shape us as well.
The mentors and “trusted voices” we listen to shape not only the inner dialog of our minds, but also the “spells we cast.” The words we say. The names and phrases we readily use in conversation. The habits of mind which become our habits of speech.
This past Thursday was the third Zoom meeting of our “ThriveEDU” group, organized by Chicago educator Lucy Gray. I started a list of Thrive Community participants on BlueSky, and am enjoying the opportunity to now regularly read the feed of posts from these fellow educators in my BlueSky iPhone app.
One of the many things we discussed and mentioned in our February 20th Zoom call was the need we have to develop and share curriculum for a “new civics” in our country which goes far beyond the simplistic and “fairy tale level” analysis of Schoolhouse Rock.
Many of us in high school were taught that the three branches of government in the United States provide a magical level of checks and balances which insure that in all cases, government acts in ways which support the general welfare and promotes both justice and liberty. These remain good, aspirational goals of our Constitutional form of government. However, living as we are in 2025 under the realities of Citizens United as well as our highly polarized civil society, we need to study and understand the dynamics of oligarchy, plutocracy, and crony capitalism. Many of us learned in high school civics that gerrymandering was not only unethical but also unconstitutional. Rucho v. Common Cause was a 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court in 2019, which affirmed the legality of gerrymandering. Dred Scott v. Sandford was a 7-2 Supreme Court vote in 1857, which affirmed the practice of chattel slavery. How many voters in the United States are conversant with these cases and the issues they present for us today? We need media literacy in our curriculum and in our society, and we need a “new civics” curriculum which can ultimately play a significant, educational role in “healing our culture.”
During Thursday evening’s Zoom call, Ann Flynn shared the “Constitution 101” curriculum from the National Constitution Center. Our need for civil and civic dialog today is great, and we need to explore ways we can engage in these conversations both inside and outside the classroom.
“Healing spells” are not just ideas in fantasy fiction. Healing spells are words we can share with each other every day, whether we are a teacher, student, parent, or community member. As citizens and human beings, we need to take responsibility for both our words and our actions. Each matter.
As we strive together to act as “culture healers, not culture warriors,” let us commit to regularly casting the healing spells of truth. As we engage in dialog about “hard history,” we can uncover both truths and pathways which can set us free. This is true at an individual as well as community level.
There are many in our United States society and culture today who oppose this kind of truth telling and “hard history” study. However, that opposition has always been with us. As Dr. Charles Branham shared on David Harris’ February 20th episode of “The Teacher’s Forum Podcast,” the “playbook of resistance” for black Americans and antiracist allies of all ethnicities has been followed and shared for generations by those who went before us. Education and dialog about African American history is an essential part of the work we are called to do, and the work in which we must persist in regardless of who may temporarily inhabit the White House or the halls of power in Washington D.C. and state capitols. These studies must form an essential part of “the new civics.”
I challenge us all to keep in mind the power of truth telling as a healing spell.
Thanks and shout out to Walter Rhein, for inspiring some of the ideas in this post. I encourage you to give Walter a follow both on BlueSky and Substack. Welcome to the resistance. #ResistEDU #ThriveEDU
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