Ethnic studies course features poster of Che Guevara on wall, includes content focused on ‘White Supremacy’ and ‘Privilege’

An ethnic studies classroom in the Pasadena Unified School District features a poster of Che Guevara with the words “Hasta La Victoria Siempre,” or “always until victory.” In a video posted to TikTok in 2021, a student profiles the ethnic studies classroom in which the poster was prominently displayed with text overlay stating, “We are a diverse and open minded [sic] community.”

The ethnic studies course vision states that the course will develop students as “catalysts for change” and is intended to “raise awareness of the societal power dynamics that result in inequities and oppression of marginalized communities” as well as inequities that have endured “as a result of systemic racism and other forms of oppression and bigotry.”

The scope and sequence include units that focus on “colonization,” “decolonization,” “4 I’s of Oppression,” “White Supremacy,” “Privilege,” “Implicit bias,” “Ableism,” “Microaggressions,” and “Appropriation.”