We Must Be Better Than This

[LogGrad98]

The main problem, from a foreigner perspective, is that there is a need to have a “month” to teach kids about systemic inequality and racism. It’s the role of any government to form fully informed individuals with critical thinking. There must be a minimum standard. At least the curriculum should allow students a basic understanding of the roots of institutional racism and inequality (extermination of native americans, slavery, segregation and discriminatory policies, white supremacism, the Japanese concentration camps, etc). Such contents should be ingrained in the educational system. It’s the basis for any citizen. Having only a month (and one that you could opt out) is ludicrous. Letting parents have a major say in some topics is also dangerous (some could oppose sexual education altogether or want a particular version of history to be taught).

Well the problem is we are just really waking up as a country and society here to the pervasiveness of systemic racism. And it will take a concerted effort to get this ball rolling. And frankly along the way we will swing too far one way, then too far the other, as we try to figure out how to level the playing field and get to a new status quo that truly values everyone equally. So yes, in some ways it is sad we need a month for this, but in another way it is simply the steps we need to take right now to begin to right the ship. It is like trying to eradicate metastatic cancer. It begins with heavy hitters like chemo and surgery that can seem to be heavy over-kill, then you have to work through the bits that are left, and make smaller moves, until you can say you are in remission. It is a process and will not happen overnight, but we have to start somewhere.

 

[One Brow]

The big thing that you are missing here is that if you're human, you're automatically a racist.

I fixed it for you.

 

[latin jazz]

Well the problem is we are just really waking up as a country and society here to the pervasiveness of systemic racism. And it will take a concerted effort to get this ball rolling. And frankly along the way we will swing too far one way, then too far the other, as we try to figure out how to level the playing field and get to a new status quo that truly values everyone equally. So yes, in some ways it is sad we need a month for this, but in another way it is simply the steps we need to take right now to begin to right the ship. It is like trying to eradicate metastatic cancer. It begins with heavy hitters like chemo and surgery that can seem to be heavy over-kill, then you have to work through the bits that are left, and make smaller moves, until you can say you are in remission. It is a process and will not happen overnight, but we have to start somewhere.

Yeah, agree with this. The USA is so divided right now that you must start somewhere. Having an opt-out is not the place to start.

 

[One Brow]

But a teacher should never force their opinion on a child through a mandatory assignment for credit. If they want to express their opinion that is fine, but it cannot be part of the curriculum.

Frankly, even expressing an opinion to a group who lacks power to oppose you is questionable. Fortunately, I just teach math, and even then my opinions on math are pretty much never relevant to the class. I make a conscious effort to keep my comments to math in class.

 

[LogGrad98]

Frankly, even expressing an opinion to a group who lacks power to oppose you is questionable. Fortunately, I just teach math, and even then my opinions on math are pretty much never relevant to the class. I make a conscious effort to keep my comments to math in class.

Agreed. I do think, though, that expressing your opinion if part of a planned effort to help kids learn critical thinking skills would be fine. But that is tough to do and maintain any level of neutrality.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Frankly, even expressing an opinion to a group who lacks power to oppose you is questionable. Fortunately, I just teach math, and even then my opinions on math are pretty much never relevant to the class. I make a conscious effort to keep my comments to math in class.

You keep your damned hippy beliefs about imaginary numbers outta my kids head okay!

 

[LogGrad98]

You keep your damned hippy beliefs about imaginary numbers outta my kids head okay!

i?

 

[framer]

Frankly, even expressing an opinion to a group who lacks power to oppose you is questionable. Fortunately, I just teach math, and even then my opinions on math are pretty much never relevant to the class. I make a conscious effort to keep my comments to math in class.

My daughter is going to start pre-calculus as a freshman and I am sooooo screwed at being able to help her with homework in the near future. If she came home spouting about the Hagelan dialectic and how that relates with neo capitlism as discussed in math class, I would be far more comfortable helping her.

 

[babobombarder]

Im not from USA so I dont really understand, if somebody can explain please, why does history have to be separated into black history and white history, isnt it all history? And why do kids have to learn black history or white history specifically, again, isnt it all just one history? I find the idea of even separating history into "white" and "black" racist in its core

 

[cowhide]

During the black lives matter movement last summer I challenged my extended family (BIL, SIL, MIL, sisters, etc.), who are generally all white and mostly mormon (about half live in Utah), to actually talk to a person of color about this movement and what it means to them, because pretty much all of my family were stuck on the whole "all lives matter" ********. Only one of them took up the challenge and it completely changed her point of view (my sister, way to go sis!). The others hemmed and hawed and made excuses. I detailed a bit of these conversations with my BIL, a former mormon bishop and current high counselman, who was adamantly against the movement, and who I am coming to find is a heavy racist in flowery clothes. He refused to even acknowledge the need to talk to anyone because his opinions were already "informed". It is very sad really, but very true also, that Utah has a bad track-record with this stuff, and for good reason. Lots of mormons like their white neighborhoods, and white churches, and cover it all in the fact that on their mission they met a black family once. I wish the church leadership itself would do more to break this stereotype and combat this issue in the individual wards and stakes.

well when the Mormons allowed blacks to have the priesthood, many people left the church because of that decision. I am not surprised that most of your family didn't want to take your challenge. Kudos to your sister but for too many people if stuff does not affect them then they don't care. Many whites/mormons still believe they are better than blacks/minorities even though many do not publicly say it. There are a lot more sympathizers to the KKK/white nationalist movement than actual members. So if all lives matter to these people than why are they so against blacks protesting for their rights and against police brutality and murdering of blacks. So we all know they really do not believe that all lives matter and we know the reason why? Funny how Fox news did not even show the funeral of the police killed in the Capital attack, but... I guess Blue lives Matter only if a Black person is killing them.

 

[fishonjazz]

It should be covered all year as US history. Just like anything else that is/was relevant to our country's history and culture roots.

If it's US history, teach it. Seems pretty simple to me.

Problem is that they don't teach it

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[cowhide]

Im not from USA so I dont really understand, if somebody can explain please, why does history have to be separated into black history and white history, isnt it all history? And why do kids have to learn black history or white history specifically, again, isnt it all just one history? I find the idea of even separating history into "white" and "black" racist in its core

well I agree but for the other 11 months the history taught is slanted towards whites. So black history was created to give focus on the history of black Americans. Ideally I agree with you but Black History month would not have been needed if there was a more balanced American history. Whites have used history lessons for propaganda of American Exceptionalism leaving out the brutality used to create our nation. That is why when I was in elementary school we heard stories about Honest Abe Lincoln, George Washington chopping down cherry trees, Indians and Cowboys with the Indians being the bad guys. All History should be taught not just the good but also the reality of what actually happened. American History did not start at the time of the American Revolution. There were people living here, cities, cultures, languages etc. Most Americans are ignorant of these facts so they believe the propaganda and then they start believing that we are better than other races and nations. These is why we act arrogantly and go around the world pushing people around and bombing countries. Some of our actions have been necessary but too many have not. The result is that we have Parents passing on there racists views to the next generation and that is why racial progress is slow. The people in the majority see no need to change as long as they remain on top.