Republican lawmakers would have us believe that it’s not a good idea to teach certain “concepts” that might be upsetting to students. This includes the horrific reality of slavery and Missouri’s divided role during the Civil War.
There are those who don’t want to call attention to how Blacks have suffered horrifically for generations economically, socially, educationally, and in matters related to criminal justice. What they’re really saying is that they want to whitewash our state and national history. They want only a sanitized version taught in our public schools.
The truth is, Black history is Missouri’s history, and it needs to be acknowledged, remembered, and taught.
Legislative Efforts to Erase Black History
We’re all aware of anti-Critical Race Theory (CRT) efforts across the country, including here in the Show Me State. But the reality is that these efforts have expanded and there are multiple active bills up for consideration in our Missouri state legislature right now that would censor what students can learn. For example:
HB 1908 (Shaul) to require school districts to review all curricula intended for use in each school year. The bill requires all curricula to be reviewed annually and adopted in a public hearing. In other words, teachers could only teach concepts that are approved by the school board based on input from parents and other members of the community.
HB 1669 (Seitz) is another bill about school boards and instruction concerning race and history. The bill seeks to prohibit certain “concepts” about individuals based upon race or gender from being included in courses. This bill goes further and is a real gem — a “must read”. HB 1669 is similar to HB 1484, which expands these prohibitions also to higher education institutions.
HB 1634 (Seitz) would prohibit any K-12, higher education, online education, or state department from having anything to do with critical race theory. It takes it a step farther by requiring the State Board of Education to monitor and then notify the public of “violations”.
HB 1815 (Schroer) is a sibling bill to 1634, and would prohibit school districts, charter schools, “…or any other personnel from teaching, using, or providing…” curriculum related to the 1619 Project.
SB 694 (Brattin) takes things even farther than HB 1634 and HB 1815. It would allow the Missouri Attorney General to investigate school districts for compliance. The punishment for “non-compliant” districts? They would lose 50% of their state funding until district officials could provide convincing evidence that they were no longer teaching CRT or the 1619 Project.
The Reality of Ignoring Black History
Pure and simple, legislative efforts like these are designed to score political points and win elections. High-paid political consultants have told lawmakers that these types of bills “play well” with base voters and donors. Our public schools are currently Missouri’s favorite punching bag, with no good way to fight back.
The underlying goal of bills like these, coupled with “school choice” and charter school expansion efforts, is to destroy our public school system through privatization.
The reality of Black history would likely be lost if these legislative efforts succeed. The truth is, they’re hardly taught now. It would be even worse if our public schools are placed under the thumbs of additional scrutiny, censorship, and yes, racism.
One example of Black history that would be pushed back further under the rug is the horrific reality of lynchings in Missouri. The America’s Black Holocaust Museum lists 57 individuals who were lynched in Missouri between 1892-1942. The Columbia Missourian reported data that confirmed 60 deaths from 1877-1950, giving Missouri the shameful distinction of having the second highest number of lynchings in the nation outside of the deep south, a statistic reiterated by a feature in the Riverfront Times.
The Equal Justice Initiative even plotted them on a map by county. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that these reflect only those killings that were reported.
We must call attention to the atrocities of marginalized populations, and the observance of Black History Month is a good opportunity to educate the public. In addition to attributing credit for the tremendous contributions that Blacks have made to our state, we also need to shed light on how horrifically they have been treated. Why? So we can learn from our history and be resolved to never let it happen again.
This week, Democratic State Representative Kevin Windham (HD 85) took the opportunity to use his voice on the House floor in Jefferson City to put a spotlight on lynchings in Missouri. He referenced a well-researched article written by Wheaton R-III School District high school social studies teacher Jason Navarro, which told the story of how an entire population of African Americans was driven out of a town in southwest Missouri. The article, entitled Under Penalty of Death: Pierce City’s Night of Racial Terror, has become part of the State Historical Society of Missouri digital collection.
Rep. Windham provided a summary of this event on the House floor. His comments were powerful and can be seen in a 4 ½ minute video clip. However, GOP lawmakers continue their efforts to not only pretend atrocities like the one in Pierce City didn’t happen. They want to actively prevent students from learning about them at all.
Take Action
A well-rounded education is crucial to the future of our state. It’s extremely important that Missouri teachers have the freedom to teach from a rich, relevant, and truthful curriculum. Please do your part in supporting teachers, students, and public school districts.
Write letters to the editor. Call into local radio show programs. Email, call, and visit your elected lawmakers. Contact the sponsors of bills designed to censor our state’s history.
Support Democratic candidates who will fight for public schools, educational freedom, and the respectful treatment of all Missourians, regardless of the color of their skin.
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The Franklin County Democratic Central Committee meets the last Monday of each month. Due to COVID, meetings are currently being held via Zoom. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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