Racism Is Everyone’s History

The history of racism should be taught to everyone, not just marginalized individuals. Racism is the product of mistakes made by others in the past. If those individuals aren’t taught that what they did was wrong, how do you expect the past to not repeat itself?

A lot of people don’t want students to learn about slavery, the Jim Crow laws, or any form of oppression because they fear that it will make their child uncomfortable. But uncomfortable conversations are sometimes necessary, especially if you want things to change. Not teaching the history of oppression doesn’t erase it. It is embedded in the lives of those who were oppressed and in the generations to come. When we refuse to have these uncomfortable conversations, we leave future generations unprepared and unable to understand the situation.

Across America, countless minority children get sat down at their kitchen tables and given “the talk.” They are told not to draw attention to themselves and that, if they are stopped by the police, to keep their hands on the dashboard and not make any sudden movements. Do not “give people a reason to start.”

I believe everyone should be sat down for a talk, not just minorities. People should be taught that we should treat everyone fairly and not judge others. I believe we should all sit down and have one big talk.

Maybe then we won’t need “the talk” anymore, and the kitchen table can become a place where children get to talk about their days and their parents listen.