This column represents the thoughts and opinions of Jason Hennington. This is NOT the opinion of the Taylor Press.
I recently read that a school in Indiana is embroiled in controversy because they allowed parents to opt out of Black History Month curriculum.
I find that disturbing — not only because it’s Black History Month, but because the school district gives the parents an option.
In other words, parents can choose to not have their children learn about an important part of American history.
The struggles and accomplishments of African Americans cannot be ignored. In fact, they are the reason we celebrate Black History Month. That is why opting out of black history curriculum should not be an option.
I understand not wanting to teach critical race theory, which when done wrong, teaches that one particular race is bad. However, history is history and needs to be taught. Everything from slavery to the actions of the Klu Klux Klan to civil rights movements to wars, disasters and other historical events.
If you give parents an option to opt out of Black History Month curriculum, do you give parents an option to opt out of presidential history? What about Hiroshima and World War II? Where does it stop? How far is too far?
In some instances, black history ties to local history. Take Dr. James Lee Dickey. He was an African American doctor in Williamson County, which includes Taylor. He delivered the parents of some students from my generation. He was also the first African American to receive the Citizen of the Year award in Taylor.
Then, there’s Bill Pickett. We all know his accolades — Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, invented bulldogging, performed all over the world and had Will Rogers as his assistant/ sidekick.
If we just erase those two people from our local curriculum, then we erase an important part of Taylor’s history.
When we put a boundary on what can and cannot be taught due to a parent’s preference, then we lose sight of what a history class really is – teaching the truth about history. Not all of it is pretty. In fact, a lot of it is quite ugly, but that’s what you get with the human experience.
With the human experience, you get victories and failures. You learn from those victories and failures, that’s history.
Is black history more important than any other type of history? No, absolutely not. But it is American history and should not be forgotten or removed.
Hiding history is not protecting anybody. Instead, it’s setting them up for failure by not teaching them their own history.
I’m going to get off my soapbox now and go to Jasmine’s Raybotics competition. After that, it’s NBA All-Star weekend. Dejounte Murray from the Spurs made the all-star team, so I’m excited to watch.
“Black history is American history.”
— Morgan Freeman
