Rauw Alejandro Taught Kids the Real History of Salsa and Now We Wish Our Schools Did the Same
Learning history in the public school system in the United States comes with limitations. There is only so much that a teacher can discuss during the school year between standardized tests and measurable benchmarks. Thankfully, P.S. 96 in the Harlem neighborhood of New York got a special visit from Rauw Alejandro.
The global superstar brought our culture, language, and art to a class of young minds. This episode of “Celebrity Substitute” is all about learning about salsa music. Alejandro both learned about the incredible work of teachers and imparted historical wisdom that we just don’t get in schools.
Rauw Alejandro gave a special class a crash course on salsa music
The history of the Latino community is diverse. It is a vibrant collection of experiences and art that transcends borders and cultural heritage. Salsa music is the most recognizable and famous genre of Latin music to take over the world. While we all grew up listening to it on Saturday mornings, the students from Mrs. Perez’s and Ms. Heller’s classes got a real history lesson.
The class is a dual language class, meaning there are students in the class whose predominant language is Spanish. So, of course, Alejandro offered them a bilingual class to bring them closer to the history of salsa.
Alejandro goes around the room and asks the kids if they know where their parents or grandparents were from at the start of the class. Each of the students was ready to proudly proclaim their family heritage. Rauw Alejandro opened up a moment for each child to experience the joy of their collective, yet diverse, identity.
He then used the history of salsa to share the collaborative history of salsa, starting in Africa, traveling to Cuba, and making its way to New York. He makes sure to mention that the music is Latin music with influences from multiple cultures.
The students weren’t the only ones learning
Throughout the lesson, Rauw Alejandro learned that the teachers are some of the most hardworking professionals. You can see that he wasn’t fully prepared for the true energy commitment it is to teach children. After a full day of teaching the kids the history, sound, and moves of salsa, he tells the host just how much he appreciates teachers.
“Definitely teaching. Teaching in an elementary school is more difficult,” Alejandro admits, “So, a lot of respect for all the teachers in the world. We feel blessed to have you guys. So, it’s really hard.”
The U.S. is facing a persistent teachers shortage with 48 states reporting vacancies in core subjects. The subjects include special education, math, and science. According to the Learning Policy Institute, there are more than 365,000 teacher positions filled with teachers who are not fully certified. Another 45,500 remain empty across the country.
Alejandro got firsthand experience on how hard the work is to control a classroom and teach a room full of kids. It is a truly noble job. Additionally, 94 percent of teachers in the U.S. buy supplies for their classrooms out of their own pockets, according to the National Education Association.
In partnership with “Celebrity Substitute,” Amazon gave Mrs. Perez and Ms. Heller everything they had on their Amazon Wishlist for their classroom. Amazon also provided the students with new books and musical instruments.
