It didn’t get much attention, but the Louisiana Legislature killed two bills that would have injected some elements of “critical race theory” into the social studies curriculum of the state of Louisiana. Both measures were opposed by the mostly black members of the legislature.
Critical Race curriculums are intended to identify, understand, and overcome the systemic racism that exists and persists in the United States. Generally, most conservatives are opposed to CRT because it doesn’t reflect well on America’s image as the land of the free and the home of the brave.
One Bill HB352 would have required instruction on Due Process, Equal Justice under the law, and individual responsibility.
Another bill HB416 would have required instruction about World War II, the U.S. Internments of Japanese, the Concentration Camp System, the role of the Tuskegee Airmen and Asian soldiers in the war, and an analysis of the impact of the Nazi inspired Holocaust on Jews.
Each bill would have required discussion of rights, issues, and impact of government policy on citizens as well as an investigation of some government policies that were race based.
Each generation of adults in our area appears less aware of how the government operates, their rights as citizens and relationship between government and their daily lives. It is reflected in poor voter participation; which for African-Americans is averaging about 20% without a controversy.
It’s extremely troublesome for African-American students in our area. According to the State Department of Education, more than 70% of the students at both Wossman and Carroll High School performed below basic on the states’s accountability history tests. The same is true at Richwood High and others.
Many high schools focus on ELA math and science subjects and too often assign football coaches, who have little or no history training, or certifications to teach history classes. Without knowledgeable teachers in these areas who can help students connect the dots between their lives and the rights, laws, and policies of government they lose interest.
Critical race theory shows how racism, for example, is embedded into our government and is accepted as “the way things are done.”
A discussion of how the U.S. Government targeted every Japanese-American and put them in camps during the war results in a discussion of racism against the Japanese. America also faced German enemies, but all German Americans were not placed in internment camps. Why? They were white.
What’s wrong with discussing the underlying issues that prompted the Nazis to kill six million Jews during the Holocaust? Do those issues exists today? How can we prevent that type of discrimination in the future?
Even in our own city we see institutionalized racism in the school system itself. Why is it that North Monroe Schools are fully integrated and do well academically but all the MCSD failing schools are in South Monroe? Could it be that all South Side Schools are mostly racially segregated? Has segregation been accepted as “the way things are done” in Monroe?
Not all African-Americans favor critical race theory instruction; many are opposed as evidenced by the Black vote on these two bills.
The African-American legislators wanted to amend the bills with requirements to learn about slavery and Black history, which are already taught in Louisiana schools.
Critical Race discussions are aimed at pointing to the root causes of the racial biases that we have today, identifying ways it is used today, and promoting research, discussion, and activities designed to create a more informed citizenry in the next generation.
There is a connection between Social Studies knowledge and participation in government. It connects the dots for students.
If our state legislature does not require serious discussions on these issues, then it becomes important that the local school system takes the lead and devises its own matrix to prepare the next generation of critical thinkers.
It probably won’t happen because, for the most part, we’ve accepted much of the racism that is institutionalized as “the way things are done.”
