The Roots of Core Knowledge

“Where is London, Anyway? ”

by Gerald Terrell
Director, K–8 Schools
Vice President, Core Knowledge Foundation

As I travel around the country spreading the “good news” about Core Knowledge, people often ask, “How long have you been involved with Core Knowledge?” My immediate answer is always the same: “I began this journey some years ago —shortly after I first sat in the principal’s chair at Paul H. Cale Elementary School.” However, for me, the accuracy of this answer leaves a little to be desired.  It is not completely true.

In reality, I was probably alerted to the need for a common core of knowledge when I was about 6 years old. That would have been about 1954. To be more exact, it was the lazy summer of 1954. These were the days when all the neighborhood children would gather in the street to play our favorite games. One of the most popular games was “London Bridge.” This game required us to march under a “bridge” made by two sets of arms as we sang, “London Bridge is falling down, falling down, my fair lady.” At the end of the song, we would all fall to the ground. That was it —nothing else.

Sometimes our games would be interrupted by this little white girl who would ride her bicycle right up to the group, stare at us, and critique our movements. Some of the children said that she lived at the edge of the “pass,” which was a stretch of white beach-like sand that separated the black and white communities. Actually, no one really knew where she lived. She just would show up on hot summer days. Deciding to break the ice one day, I inquired, “What’s your name?” She replied, “Puddin’ Tang, ask me again, I’ll tell you the same.” We never asked her for her name again and went right on with our game. After a few moments of observing the game, Miss P-T made a startling observation —one that awakened me  to a world I didn’t know.  She remarked, “I bet you don’t even know where London is.”

As it turned out, none of us had the faintest idea where London was. Pete Chavis and Gary Campbell didn’t really care any more about where London was than they cared about little red-haired, freckled faced white girls. But I cared. I felt that Miss P-T possessed knowledge that we didn’t have. I convinced myself that somehow she was smarter than we were.

My grandfather once told me that the more knowledge you have, the farther you will go in life. As I think back to those days, I wonder what would have happened if, like Miss P-T, I and my friends had known where London was. What would have happened if we had been exposed to the same body of knowledge the same broad range of topics available to Miss P-T? Would we have felt more confident? Would she have been less given to haughtiness? I am convinced that a common cultural experience would have laid the foundation for better understanding between our communities. I am sure that the “pass,” that white stretch of sand that separated us, would have been easier to cross —in both directions.

By the way, I did find out where London is that summer. It’s as close as your nearest library. For many summers after, I have traveled around the world through books and went far beyond London. But, I never got a chance to inform Miss P-T of my new discoveries. After the summer of ’54, she never came to watch our games. Someone said she moved away. I thought maybe to England. No one really knew. I continued the journey inspired by Miss P-T that day. Eventually, I landed at Core Knowledge. Here, I’m happy to say I can help children build that core of common knowledge that will bridge many differences, differences of race, and class, and opportunity.

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