Running racism in America thread

And that's the big issue. As the pendulum starts to swing, all these MAGGATs and anti-wokers want to prevent it from swinging at all.

 

As someone who would without a doubt be fired if I taught in Florida or Texas or a handful of some other states, I can say 100 percent my objective is to be as honest as I can about our history. I'd rather be accused of going too far the other way than perpetuating the whitewashed version of events. I also teach kids who have experienced racism and don't trust the power structures. I don't teach them to hate America, but to be critical of it. I also teach US history from the Colonies to the Civil War, so there is no escaping some very racist things.

 

Just polished off a BLT sandwich. I shudder to think of the Twitterized shitstorm that's heading my way.

 

SC House Republicans Pass Bill Allowing Parents to Sue Public School Districts for "Racist" Curriculum

 

They didn't think that one through, did they?

 

SC has no anti-SLAPP law.

If I had Fuck You money, I'd fund as many lawsuits against lily white school districts as humanly possible. For the LOLZ.

 

I love this post. Your approach certainly seems the right way to go.

I'm curious, though, how, exactly, you teach kids not to hate America, but to be critical of it?

You mean in terms of deeper, critical thinking? Or go ahead and bring up what's wrong with it, and criticize those things, every time, all the time? Or what?

Because there are lots of people, who hate America (or whatever), whose arguments for doing so are exactly the things they criticize. The criticisms are the genesis of the hate, even. (Not that they would ever actually leave here, though). There's a very fine line between the criticizing and not having it turn into a reason, or the reasons, for hating, a country, a people...anything.

 

I can't imagine it'd be that difficult. They're not flipsides of the same coin.

 

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually” - James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son

 

At the risk of further cementing my reputation as an insufferable pedant ...

There's a "critical" in "to be critical of" and there's a "critical' in "Critical Race Theory" ... and these are absolutely not the same versions of "critical."

 

I think not standing for the anthem, provided it’s a well-reasoned take (and people usually don’t take that position without putting some thought into it), is one of the most patriotic things you can do. You are expressing your opinion. Ideally that should open up some dialogue. And you’re doing it in a way that is not harming others. The people who invaded the Capitol on 1/6 were quite different, despite spending tons of time professing their “love” for our country.

 

Yeah critical thinking and analyzing motives for what happened. I make sure to have them understand there’s bad with the good and the bad isn’t everything. Just want them to know how we ended up where we did and why we have the problems we do.

I don’t want them to hate the country and they don’t. Their families came here for opportunity and they have feelings of safety here. But they know things are messed up. Their lives aren’t easy (for some). But I want them able to explain why America had issues rather than just saying everything is racist.