During debate on House Bill 6762, there was an unfriendly amendment, LCO 9151, introduced to effectively ban teaching race in our schools. We’ve seen states like Alabama, Florida and Kentucky, all which similarly seek to misrepresent any curriculum that covers race and racism in an effort to scare people who do not know their history or their country’s history, pass these discriminatory policies. The amendment was voted down thankfully, but we must not rest on our laurels that Connecticut is not susceptible to the ignorance and hate that plagues our nation.
We also must be keenly aware of any attempts to transform knowledge into a “boogie man,” if said knowledge makes others feel uncomfortable. Here though, the “boogie man” should not be knowledge, like some may want others to believe, the real “boogie man” is ignorance.
The old saying, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” stands the test of time for good reason. The amendment, which essentially says any inclusion of race or racism in school curriculum is off limits, just like in Texas and just like in Oklahoma, is a disservice to the young people who need to know their history, need to know the impact of systemic racism and oppression and the overall negative effect it has on not just the group that is the target of the oppression, but our society and culture as a whole.
Teaching young people about redlining for example, which was a discriminatory practice in which the Federal Housing Administration refused to insure mortgages in or anywhere around neighborhoods where African Americans lived, doesn’t mean white people are inherently racist. I just briefly taught you about redlining now, to those of you who may not have known what it was. Does simply mentioning it here mean I’m implying all white people are born racist? Wouldn’t knowing something like redlining could take place in our great nation be helpful for the next generation of leaders and policy makers? Knowledge of our nation’s history is not an indictment on the inherent nature of white people, or white people in general. So why would this, to some, be something to fear to the point of removing it from any school that might be teaching it?
The history of the experiences of the different races in our country is American History and should not be ignored or deleted. Any education system that tries to do so perpetuates the systemic racism that has been brewing in this country for centuries. How can we say we are doing right by our children if an amendment like the one introduced Thursday night were to pass? What’s more, what does it say that an amendment such as the one brought to the floor would even be introduced? An amendment to an education bill that declares knowledge to be the problem. So much of our history is still not being taught in our schools as it is. Many people who look like me will only truly learn about their history if they take a course in college. An experience, I’m sure, with which many of my white colleagues are unfamiliar.
We know this is the wrong decision for our kids, removing the opportunity for them to learn about their history, the history of others, identify if they have any biases and grow to become adults who strive for justice in what can oftentimes be an unjust nation. Why here, is knowledge the “boogie man”? Why is fear and ignorance the direction some believe we should take by introducing discriminatory amendments?
The amendment was ultimately voted down but not until after the misconception of Critical Race Theory and ignorance were spewed out into the airways. I never thought I would witness knowledge being vilified in Connecticut and solely because it makes some people feel uncomfortable. To reiterate, I am pleased the amendment was voted down, however, it should serve as a stark reminder that Connecticut is not insulated from the hate we see in far too many states across the country. Additionally, I would urge all those who endorsed this amendment to do some self-examination, strive to do better and embrace knowledge over fear and ignorance.