As a result, while many educators, educational leaders, and community members across the country may sense that the bills are unjust, they may also lack the necessary background to fully understand, support, and/or actualize their concerns. Recognizing that the motivation behind this legislation comes from a desire to silence teaching about race and racism, we also know that many people support these bills because they are informed by divisive soundbites used to provoke fear and knee-jerk reactions. In fact, such legislation stands in opposition to the principles of academic freedom and the comprehensive teaching of history, literature, sciences, and social sciences that are so integral to maintaining a democratic society. Such legislation is “designed to stifle a full exploration of the role of race and racism in United States history” (Association of American Law Schools, 2021). Legislation has been proposed to cut federal funding for schools that use lessons based on the New York Times’s 1619 Project ( Ujifusa, 2021) and 27 states with legislation either passed, pending, or under discussion would severely limit K–12 and university educators’ ability to engage with critical race theory (CRT) and antiracist teaching. Recently, an honest reckoning with the past has come under renewed attack at the federal, state, and local levels. A free and open society depends on the unrestricted pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. (American Historical Association) A whitewashed view of history cannot change what happened in the past. To ban the tools that enable those discussions is to deprive us all of the tools necessary for citizenship in the 21st century. Americans of all ages deserve nothing less than a free and open exchange about history and the forces that shape our world today, an exchange that should take place inside the classroom as well as in the public realm generally. In the current context, this includes an honest reckoning with all aspects of that past. Knowledge of the past exists to serve the needs of the living.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |