Dear American Education System, 

Marian Wright Edelman once said:

“Education is for improving the lives of others and for learning your community and world better than you found it.” The easiest part about reading quotes is agreeing with them, but the hardest part is applying it to your life. Application is especially difficult when learning about such a controversial, yet necessary topic that needs to be taught regardless of anyone’s political or religious beliefs—critical race “theory.” 

  Teaching critical race theory can be a tendentious topic of history, but is the real version of history that needs to be heard. When students are taught the “Americanized” version of history—that racist events occurred back in the day, and we’ve evolved enough now for that not to happen—it can make others downplay the racism that still exists today. No, I am not referring to interpersonal racism, but systemic racism that America still allows to happen to POC (people of color). 

  Oftentimes, when we first learn about Black history, it begins with slavery. (Not to mention, the fact that Black history is usually ONLY taught during Black History Month). There is nothing wrong with teaching students about the horrors many enslaved Africans had to go through, but it shouldn’t be all we learn.

Before slavery and colonization, Black people did many great things. According to an article published by Ferris State University, West Africans have rich and diverse histories before Europeans colonized their land. They had kingdoms such as the empire of Songhai and the kingdom of Benin. They made luxurious items like bronze, gold, and ivory—things Europeans came to them for. 

It’s a shame how this is the history that isn’t being taught. Instead, when we hear about Black history, we’re taught that it started with slavery rather than being taught about the greatness people of African descent had. Imagine being a Black child and only hearing negative things about your culture, while hearing about all the wonderful things the Greeks and Romans did during that same time period. This can cause not just Black children, but children of other races as well, to doubt or undermine their greatness. 

In addition, Native Americans may also doubt their greatness because of the lie that schools continue to teach—“Christopher Columbus discovered America.” This is an ignorant thing to think, let alone teaching it to children all across the globe. 

We know that Native Americans were living in America before Columbus arrived based on the Doctrine of Discovery. This doctrine dehumanized Native Americans, thus giving the Europeans a “ justified reason” to colonize and exploit them. Believing this lie and regurgitating it to others means that you accept about 400 years of White supremacist history that is designed to miseducate Americans and downgrade Native Americans. 

People continuously argue that CRT (critical race theory) portrays all White people as racists. This is incorrect. It is the uncomfortable reality that many people need to face despite the discomfort White people may feel. 

CRT was established by legal schools that believed in civil rights during the 1970s. If your focus is on defending the feelings of anti-CRTs, rather than focusing on the fact that CRT was an idea introduced about five decades ago that STILL isn’t being taught, then your beliefs do not come in order of priority. 

  The education system needs to be reevaluated. Despite its name, critical race is definitely not a “theory.” It is history that teaches the whole part of the story and doesn’t leave out bits and pieces. 

CRT provides a realistic representation of White racism in America. Teaching children this fairytale about “not seeing color” means that you’re denying cultural differences and racial identities, which are both important factors that make a person who they are.

Of equal importance is the saying “everyone is the same.” This dismisses the struggles POC have gone through/do go through. If critical race theory was taught, fewer people would make these claims because they know the truth. As we all know, the last thing we need is a repeat of history due to a lack of knowing it. 

 

Sincerely, 

A Person Who is Tired of a Corrupt System