Saving Black History from the Culture Wars

February 1st marks the start of Black History Month, a time when America calls attention to the rich and varied contributions of African Americans throughout our history, along with their sacrifices.

Since 1976, when Black History Month was first recognized as part of our nation’s bicentennial celebration, educators have devoted additional time to lessons that help students better understand Black history, including the enormous challenges Black Americans have faced due to racism.

But in these polarized times, students are learning less about Black history. In fact, since 2021, 44 states have adopted new laws restricting what teachers can discuss with their students. Many of these laws prohibit the teaching of “divisive concepts” or any subject matter that might cause students to feel “discomfort,” “guilt,” or “anguish” because of their race. In her article, Why Teachers are Afraid to Teach History, Rachel Cohen writes, “For years, the school culture wars were waged over God and prayer, and how and whether to teach evolution and sex. But over the last decade, the fights have turned more toward how we frame our nation’s past, particularly how we characterize America’s histories of racism and colonization, and their relevance to today.” And, as journalist David W. Blight writes in the New Yorker, “Once again, Americans find themselves at war over their history—what it is, who owns it, how it should be interpreted and taught.”

The impact of new policies on educators

The rapidly changing cultural and political landscape and the vague wording of these new laws have led many teachers to express fear and confusion since they can now be reprimanded, terminated, and even lose their teaching credentials if they cross any of the new, fuzzy lines.   

Matt Hawn, a social studies teacher from Tennessee, was fired because the teaching materials he used were deemed offensive by school officials. When asked how these new laws are affecting teachers, he said, “It’s certainly giving them caution, like, ‘What’s going to happen if I teach this?’ — because the penalty is so steep.'”

So, what’s the path forward? What will it take for educators to be able to teach honest, non-biased Black history without fear of reprisals? Or, even better, what will it take to teach this content with the knowledge that administrators, parents, and the local community are thankful that students are learning a vitally important part of American history—not just the achievements but also the failures to live up to our ideals. The only way to avoid repeating our failures, of course, is to understand and acknowledge them.

Getting Beyond Polarization

As outraged or disheartened many of us may feel about this issue, I’m convinced that progress won’t be made by amping up the culture wars and escalating our attacks on the other side. That will only intensify the polarization, widen the divides, and muddy the waters. And, as Arthur Brooks writes in Love Your Enemies, “If you have contempt for ‘“them,” more and more people will become “them.”

But it can happen when parents, educators, and school officials turn down the volume, listen to each other, and agree to have civil conversations about the kind of education they really want for their children and their communities - not what outside extremists or “conflict entrepreneurs” tell them they should want or misrepresent what’s really happening in classrooms. Longer-term change will undoubtedly also require voters to mobilize and elect local and state policymakers who will support the teaching of non-biased, honest subject matter. That’s democracy at work, not culture wars.

Reasons for Hope

The first is that most Americans, referred to by some as the “exhausted majority,” are looking for better ways to connect with people on the other side (as Columbia University professor Peter Coleman explains in my interview with him). Evidence of a desire for connection is found in several of our podcast episodes—like this one and this one—that feature discussions on history, race, and current events between conservative and liberal guests. These conversations demonstrate that people with opposing opinions are willing and capable of engaging in civil, productive dialogues, especially when all of the discussants agree, upfront, to follow a few simple conversation guidelines.

But let me offer a caveat. Respectful conversations on controversial topics like history, race, and diversity aren’t likely to happen in school board meetings. Those events, where anyone, including individuals with no connection to the district, can say virtually anything they want in any manner they want during public comment sessions, are not conducive to meaningful dialogue. Instead, teachers, administrators, and board members will have to create new spaces where civil dialogue, guided by a few agreements, can happen. (Living Room Conversations provides excellent resource for conducting meetings like this.) 

The second piece of good news is evidence showing that most Americans want teachers to teach history honestly—to focus their lessons not just on the good, but on the bad and the ugly. Yes, that will and should cause students to feel discomfort and anguish from time to time, not because they themselves are responsible for any failings (unless, of course, some do hold racist attitudes or have committed racist acts) but because of the harm those failings have caused.

Additional evidence comes from journalist Courtney E. Martin, who writes about a school district in Middletown, Ohio, where conservative and liberal residents defended its Black superintendent, who had been publicly attacked over his efforts to promote equity and to celebrate the district’s diversity. That bipartisan support, along with the superintendent’s willingness to listen to his critics, staved off a full-blown culture war and, I suspect, also sent a clear message to Middletown’s teachers that they were free to teach history honestly and to embrace Black History Month with their students.

There’s an important lesson in that story for communities across America. Celebrating Black History Month is not divisive. Instead, it’s a way to bridge our divides, to help achieve a more perfect union, and to affirm our nation’s commitment to the final words of the Pledge we ask students to recite every morning: “…with liberty and justice for all.”