Charis Granger-Mbugua graduated Cobb County Schools, where her young son is now a student. In this guest column, Granger-Mbugua, a Spelman College graduate and former high school teacher who earned National Board Certification, addresses the growing furor around critical race theory.
As the AJC has reported, many white residents in Cherokee, Forsyth and other counties have packed school board meetings in the last month decrying critical race theory, which they have conflated with diversity, equity and inclusion and social and emotional learning. They contend schools are telling white students they are oppressors and presenting American history in a negative light.
Other AJC Get Schooled guest columns by Granger-Mbugua include an essay on rethinking Dr. Seuss that went viral and the risks teachers face from COVID-19.
By Charis Granger-Mbugua
I think it’s fairly safe to say that if you care anything about public education in America, you’ve heard of critical race theory, also known as CRT.
I’m also going to assume that you have seen news reports, or even personally witnessed, contentious school board meetings filled with angry or frustrated parents, on both sides of the issue, as school districts debate what can and cannot be taught in schools.
And if you’re even remotely interested in local, state, and national politics, you have surely listened to the well-scripted talking points of both Republican and Democratic politicians, as they attempt to define and discuss CRT and why it should or should not matter to their constituents.
Everywhere we turn these days, it seems as if issues of race, justice, and equity keep bubbling to the surface.
It’s like we can’t escape it.
President Biden’s recent signing of legislation that made June 19th, or Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, only serves as proof positive that our country, our leaders, and our citizens are being asked … maybe even forced … to take a long, difficult look at the history of slavery and racism in our country and how its legacy still impacts the lives and experiences of so many today — just 156 years after General Gordon Granger shared the news of emancipation with the enslaved people of Texas.
It truly is a wonder, and a disgrace, that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp still decided against making Juneteenth a paid holiday for state workers, citing state law only allowing for 12 closures a year. Georgia already has 12 public and legal holidays on the books.
Nevertheless, I, like many others around the country, have grappled with the question of what really matters when it comes to how we teach our children about the ugly sides of our history.
I have struggled with what seems to be the blatant misuse and misunderstanding of CRT, especially at the K-12 level, by school district leaders and elected officials. I have empathized with classroom teachers and school employees, especially in my home district of Cobb, who have essentially been forced into silence through new policies that stifle their ability to publicly question or criticize decisions and decision-makers or teach anything that may fall into the category of “critical race theory.”
Just to be clear, CRT is not “taught.” Rather it is framework, with its foundation in legal analysis, that views race as a social construct and seeks to examine how racism shows up in systems and institutions in our country.
I have listened, read, and paid careful attention to the discussions being had by various stakeholders as I seek to formulate a thoughtful opinion about how best to advocate for my own Black children as they prepare to navigate halls, classrooms, and school buildings over the next several years.
And what I continually land on is that most people want a better, safer, kinder, more united world for all children. Those parents screaming and making a scene at school board meetings love their kids and want them to learn in a safe environment that honors who they are and who they hope to be. Most people who have gotten swept up in this heated CRT debate do not fully understand what it is; but what they do understand is their fear. Fear that their children will be taught a false, whitewashed history. Or fear that their children will be taught that they are “bad” simply because of the color of their white skin.
But fear, unfortunately, often clouds our judgment. When we are driven by fear we are often unable to hear the perspective of those different from us. Fear blocks our ability to think clearly and logically and can manifest itself as anger, hatred, and even violence.
So, what if we all stopped and took a collective deep breath. What if we chose to listen, even for just a few moments, to the voices of those different from us. Could lessons be learned? Could common ground be found? Could empathy and compassion guide our choices?
I am challenging you now to listen to my voice. The voice of a Black wife and mother. The voice of a former English teacher and writer. The voice of a Cobb County resident. The voice of an American citizen.
Schools must take an active role in dismantling systemic injustice. Educators and educational leaders cannot be passive bystanders. As one of my favorite writers and activists, Elie Wiesel stated, “To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all.”
School districts across the country, and in Cobb specifically, must actively work to recruit, hire, and retain qualified and diverse teachers and staff. There is no question of the significance of a highly qualified teacher in front of every student, regardless of race. However, it is equally important that all students learn from a diverse body of teachers. And diversity does not equal only adding more Black teachers to a school staff. Diversity includes cultural, racial, religious, age, gender, sexual orientation, and those with disabilities.
But we cannot deny that research clearly shows that students of color benefit from being taught by a teacher who looks like them. According to a 2020 Education Week article, “A report by the Learning Policy Institute revealed that when taught by teachers of color, students of color have better academic performance, improved graduation rates, and are more likely to attend college.”
Teachers must be trained and allowed to teach all parts of our American history, including the parts that reveal the very worst of our humanity.
We must acknowledge the truth about what happened to the Native Americans, to Chinese Immigrants, to Japanese American citizens. We must critically examine the long-lasting impacts of slavery, Jim Crow and Black codes, redlining and mass incarcerations of people of color
But beyond that, all students must be taught about the achievement and contributions of the countless people of color who have made America the great country we all wish her to be — not just Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and little Ruby Bridges. We must learn about Juneteenth, and Tulsa, and the truth about Columbus Day. We must do the challenging work of unlearning what we have been taught to believe about our Founding Fathers and recognize that there were so many others who contributed and continue to contribute to the building of this country.
And to the elected school officials who use their power and position to advance their own political agendas, shame on you. As a parent and Cobb resident, I continue to be shocked and offended by how our school board silences the three Black board members by voting along party lines and making it virtually impossible for those board members in the minority to add anything to the agenda. How can we learn and grow if we do not allow other voices to be heard?
The truth is these are hard and uncomfortable conversations. But they matter and they are necessary.
Racism exists. It exists in our schools and in our classrooms. It exists in our history books and in our public institutions. And just because you may not see it, or experience it, does not mean it isn’t there. It does not mean that black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) students and employees in our schools don’t have to navigate both overt and covert acts of racism regularly. And it does not mean we stop talking about it because people just need to “get over it” and move on. That’s just not how healing works.
If we want a better future for all our children, then let’s stop denying each other’s experiences. Let’s work towards understanding. Let’s listen with open minds and open hearts and recognize that change is never easy, but we only arrive at a better America by doing the hard things. And as I try to teach my children every day, we can do hard things.
The author of this column, Charis Granger-Mbugua, is a former high school teacher and a Cobb County parent.
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