Tolerance is taught, and schools are the places to teach it
In an ideal world, every person is given the same opportunity to become successful. The American Dream promises that if one works hard, pursues education, and is good to others, they can become realized citizens in the Land of the Free.
However, this principle does not seem to hold true today. The path that some must take in their pursuit of happiness is often impeded by the traits they cannot control. From the racist history embedded into south Anne Arundel county, the mass insurrection on Jan. 6 and the xenophobia that Asian Americans are subjected to, it’s clear that hatred is everywhere. Does that sound like the American Dream?
For all hardships and detriments, there is a solution; in this case, it is social justice education: the pursuit of equity and fairness for all. It is a push for greater socio-economic and cultural equality.
Our current climate, with the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and the inequality gap among racial lines, is the consequence of a historically inequitable and intolerant education system. Education is imperative to ensuring equality and equity for our future generations.
Well-known scholar, Desiderius Erasmus once said: “The main hope of a nation lies in the proper education of its youth.” The education system has taught us so much. From how to tell time to analyzing matrices, we cover everything. Except for tolerance. We aren’t taught how to treat others with grace and compassion, even if they look or act differently. We aren’t taught how to stand up for the oppressed. We aren’t taught the true history of America.
Social justice education is important for everyone and is for every student. It’s just as important for students of color to learn about events and situations that affect them as it is for privileged students to learn about diverse backgrounds and the oppression that others have faced. Social justice education builds necessary critical thinking skills, empathy, compassion, social, and cultural awareness.
The 1619 Project, for example, was an initiative started by Nikole Hannah-Jones.
It is a step-by-step curriculum that teaches students about racism in America through a historical lens. However, the 1776 Commission, created by former President Donald Trump, aims to teach students so-called “patriotic” education.
What constitutes patriotic education? It is the responsibility of our education system to provide its students with the facts of history and allows its students to draw their own conclusions. Patriotic education instead provides students with a biased view of our nation’s history. Instead of glorifying our leaders and historical figures we should humanize them and appreciate their triumphs and downfalls.
We can only better our society if we acknowledge the wrongs of the past. If we want to steer away from the ‘twisted web of lies’ in our schools, it is imperative that we teach the true history of our country. We must then educate our students on how to be anti-racist individuals. This can only be done by incorporating social justice into our education.
Education is the most powerful tool in the shed. No weapon or machine has the impact that knowledge does. That is why Anne Arundel County Public Schools has taken steps toward the future through the implementation of the 1619 Project, the inclusion of an African American history course, events like Unity Day throughout the school year, and the introduction of a women’s history elective to high school students.
A good society depends on good citizens. A good citizen is tolerant. Tolerance is taught. Education is an activity that habituates citizens to treat others with respect, a necessity towards creating an inclusive society. Embedding social justice into our education is the seed needed to empower students to articulate their own opinion.