Where was your first talk about racism?

America likes to claim that we are this “post-racial” country that has progressed so much since the Civil Rights Era. But, can you list 3 things that are proven to be better now? Why don’t we talk about this in school? Racism needs to be discussed in every branch of life and schooling is not excluded. Your first encounter with racism as a person of color should not be through a slur. Your first encounter as a White person should not be that fear that makes you lock your doors when a Black person walks near your car. Your first talks about racism should be in school and in the home. It should be taught by telling you that Christopher Columbus was no hero. It should be told that slaves were not indentured servants. It should detail stories of redlining properties and the 16^th street Baptist Church Bombing. You should know about the Tulsa riots. You should know the effects of colonization on Native Americans in present day. You should know about DACA and the DREAMers. You should know how brutal Asian internment camps were. You should know how hard it is to get citizenship. You should know the pay wage gap among races. This is where the United States education has failed us all.

The reason learning about racism in education is so important is because it does not allow the country to ignore its history. Textbooks pick and choose what is important to learn, even going so far as to saying slaves came over here as migration workers. If we try to erase the past of the United States, we will continue on the same path. The same path that made President Obama the worst, but our current president is only doing what is best. Racism is not something that can be swept under the rug. After so much sweeping, your rug becomes distorted. People have become so desensitized regarding racism and injustices because they truly do not know what it is like. Judgment is very easy to make when you’re not living that way. But, if we force discussions about inequality from the very first history class we take, you cannot avoid it. You will make everyone feel uncomfortable but will create an understanding of why it is wrong.

The question I want to know is: will this ever happen? I am hopeful but I am realistic. The way this country is going right now is a strong indicator of that answer being no.