Mississippi is a state with a historic tie and present predicament with the issue of racism. In fact, the Confederate States of America battle flag was not removed from the state flag until just last year. In a place with such a lengthy track record of racial discrimination, it is crucial for future generations to learn from past mistakes.
According to Lee O. Sanderlin for The Clarion Ledger, critical race theory was originally developed in the latter part of the 20^th century to analyze how systemic racism arose in the U.S. through public policy and institutional implementation. It was taught early on and primarily in law schools to study discriminatory practices as a result of legislation. Jan. 21, 2022 presented a different story regarding the educational value of race theory. The Senate chamber passed a bill that supposedly bans the critical race theory from being taught, although it does not explicitly say that. In response to the discussion of the bill, Black lawmakers walked out in protest, withholding their votes.
The motive behind this bill is complex. According to the same article by Lee O. Sanderlin for The Clarion Ledger, the Mississippi Department of Education said critical race theory has not been taught in any school. After walking off the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons said he and other colleagues did not believe the bill was deserving of their time or vote, as reported by Bobby Harrison for Mississippi Today. Sen. Simmons explained there are more pressing issues to write legislation for within the state.
“We have so many issues in the state that need to be addressed,” Simmons said. “We did not need to spend time on this.”
Mississippi has a problem with discrimination and this bill impedes its reduction.
History has always been taught with the intent of preventing past crises from repeating. When I was in school, I learned much of my moral framework from history classes. The events and writings I have learned of the past are what shaped the beliefs I have today. When students are deprived from the entirety of a story, they have no framework to reference when forming their own beliefs.
Moreover, Mississippi is a state heavily affected by racially charged actions and discriminatory barriers. The Associated Press with NPR reports on legislators who question the morality of the bill such as Sen. Barbara Blackmon of Canton who describes the bill as “not morally right.” It is important for the youth of the state to be educated on the events which got us to the place we are today.
Racism is something our country has been fighting to end for ages. It is a step backwards to ban the future from learning about the racism which affects their everyday life. Critical race theory is consistently debated because some believe it pits people of color against white people. Other concerns about teaching this kind of subject are it can feed the notion that all whites are racist. According to NPR, some Republican senators in Mississippi even claim it teaches children “victim culture,” which implies it is wrong to claim to be victimized by a real issue prevalent in our current climate.
None of these beliefs are worth holding back essential education. Critical race theory is not advocating against white people. It is advocating against racism. The racial issues which have come to light in the past few years have spread awareness to many areas in dire need of improvement. America is learning constantly about the discriminatory practices built into our system and spreading awareness is the first step to a solution.
Students attending K-12 schools are at their most influentially vulnerable state. This is where they learn the basics they will use for the rest of their life. Teachers are faced with the crippling responsibility of shaping the minds of the future generations. Educators have an unspoken duty to make their classrooms inclusive and comfortable for their students while also relaying accurate and relevant information to them. In Stephen Sawchuk’s article for Education Week, he writes that a majority educators support culturally relevant teaching and are open to strategies to make schools feel safe and supportive for people of color.
Critical race theory provides understanding to an otherwise mind-boggling issue. Many students with cultural backgrounds grow up being taught by the media about discrimination which affects them daily. It is time for the education system to address these issues and finally take a step towards a solution.