Trauma of racism needs to be discussed in school

With regard to 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests, I would like to bring awareness to the educational system’s lack of response to the trauma of racism.

In spite of nationwide dialogues sparked by the recent anti-racist protests, I seldom find myself having racial discussions within the classroom environment. I am an Asian American 10th-grader and I have had one classroom discussion of racism throughout my years of education. The three-day conversation was what I had craved from my schools.

The experience made me realize my insecurities of racism were valid and normal, and that my peers had undergone similar experiences. The conversation additionally taught me to check my own biases against other people of color.

Thus, I feel it is vital for ongoing anti-racist curricula to be installed into the educational system to combat the trauma of racism.

According to the American Psychology Association, when parents avoid discussing differences and discrimination, children “learn that the topic is taboo.” The organization added that it is possible these children will associate silence on racism as a non-racist action. This feeds into a “colorblind” approach to society, which will never work when the vast majority of the United States remains racist.

To be colorblind in modern America is to be ignorant. Choosing to not talk about racism is no longer enough. We must choose to be actively anti-racist. We must choose to teach future generations how to see equally and fairly.

— Kelly Chuang, Corte Madera