“Racist, ideologically motivated, divisive”. These are the words littering the bills that have been used to justify the refusal to teach students about racism and its past, present and future in America. Simply defined as a place for educating children, school is a place that encourages the learning and exploration of different topics and cultures, even if those topics raise controversy. Approaching everything with tact and objectivity as teachers is imperative, but as the debate continues to intensify, the question is becoming asked more and more: Does race have a place in the classroom? We at The Tower believe that acknowledging racism and its systemic role in the U.S. doesn’t inherently indoctrinate children and it’s injust to limit children from gaining information on the subject; as long as the information is presented in an age-appropriate way, it’s important to discuss the topic in classrooms.
A big piece of teaching race in schools is related to the concept of critical race theory, or CRT. Defined by Merriam-Webster as “[A] movement interested in studying and transforming the relationship among race, racism and power,” CRT has an emphasis on discovering how the law can either dismantle or uphold racial inequalities. Clearly this is a topic that’ll lead to more serious discussions about the framework of our country’s legal systems, but if done respectfully and objectively, these are important topics to introduce. According to research from the University of Indiana, nearly one third of states have banned K-12 school curricula that offer critical views of the racial past of the US, with some of these laws explicitly mentioning CRT. We at The Tower believe that the legal prohibition of discussing racism critically goes against students’ abilities to learn all facets of the issue and does nothing to actively prevent racism in America.
Important statements made in these preventive bills include fears of promoting “guilt” and “shame” in students, and with racism being a very difficult and very current issue in today’s America, the key of the classroom is that it becomes a safe place for students to learn about where this country has been and where it’s going in this context. According to the National Education Association, the most effective way to help students handle their feelings is to create a strong sense of belonging in our classrooms. Authentic conversations need to be had and by limiting student exposure to these moments, we are inherently warping students’ comprehension of racism in America by not treating it as an important topic.
An important goal in diversity education is helping students recognize their biases. Whether implicit or explicit, bias stems are part of being human. They can form from our background, personal experiences, or general societal stereotypes. The goal of diversity education is to not shame any student but to inform them about how negative stereotypes can impact millions of people and how they have for centuries. According to the American Psychological Association there are many benefits to diversity education, including improved critical thinking and higher overall achievement levels for both majority and minority group members. As with any debate, it’s important to acknowledge criticisms of “indoctrination” or vilification, but they truly have no merit. History and facts are truth, not agenda, and teachers know not to encourage taking sides and introduce these concepts to kids. Lawmakers shouldn’t invade the classroom based off of their own biased perceptions of how discussions of race occur. We at The Tower believe that there is a way for these ideas to exist in school and be facilitated by teachers through open communication so that kids can gain a deeper understanding of their own history, which is their right.
The harm in not discussing racial issues in America is that it’ll be harder for society to progress forward without acknowledging that marginalized people are still marginalized. Because those biases and perceptions do exist in some people, that alone makes it worth discussing. Anti-racism is not indoctrination and teaching children to not judge others outward features isn’t wrong. We at The Tower believe that since history teaches kids about the past, the faults and successes, we should motivate and lead children to not make those same mistakes.
