Tia Laury is a freshman journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about racial, societal and relationship matters for The Maneater.

Education is a right. School is supposed to be informational and transparent so students don’t lack information.  I have noticed throughout my years of education in K-12 that the knowledge students learn only educates the surface level of different perspectives. For example, diversity classes are a privilege given to individuals where they learn about cultural differences. Yet, when it comes to Black studies, the truth is yet to be told. 

Our education system is designed to provide information to students that outlines numerous amounts of knowledge, ranging from mathematics to social aspects. However, is what students learn enough to understand and apply their knowledge in real-world situations?  

Some curriculums seem to deprive students of knowing the harsh truth of Black history, especially when it comes to systematic racism. History allows students to seek facts of the past, yet a recurring issue in history class is that individuals believe in what is easier to comprehend, than the hard-hitting truth. Black history is a common topic that many schools fail to dive deeper into because of the intensity it can bring about. Educational bureaucrats keep students in a cycle of learning that deprives them of the truth.

According to an Insider article written by Natalie Colarossi on June 27, 2020, “there are no federal requirements for teaching Black History in the U.S.” 

Schools that teach Black history minimize the amount of information they share.  Many social studies classes condemn all key aspects of African Americans’ past within history textbooks. From learning about the violence African Americans’ faced in wars to the culture brought to the U.S, there is still not enough knowledge being taught in schools.  For instance, Delaware’s social studies classes incorporate only five pages of historical narratives, while New York’s history textbooks have a span of 150 pages.

This system of teaching the bare minimum of a prominent group’s experiences in our nation degrades the abilities students have to utilize their knowledge and apply it to real-world situations. For instance, many individuals are silenced when speaking upon protesting because they see strength and bravery, but others see it as attention-seeking or weakness.  When the truth is needed, where will our intelligence be? 

It is becoming more common in pre-collegiate education for students to voice their thoughts and grasp a deeper understanding of social and cultural materials on their own.  I spoke with junior and former Maneater writer Cela Migan, and she told me that the social and cultural education taught in school is very white-washed. When it comes to Black studies, it is swept under the rug, leaving many individuals clueless about what being Black and living Black is like. 

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott put in place a bill that directs how teachers educate students on race and America’s history. As of Sept. 1, 2021, Texan authorities published a list of information educators must teach.  The idea of this bill isn’t just affecting Texas students, but students nationwide, in hopes of suppressing the Critical Race Theory. The theory that’s been around for nearly 40 years underlies race as a social construct. It embodies teaching racism and injustice in educational environments and is implemented in the legal system to this day. 

An article published by Summer Ballentine on July 19, 2021, from the Associated Press News points out that in Missouri, no Black individuals were invited to testify on the Critical Race Theory during a hearing that was held by the Joint Committee. This included no Black teachers, scholars, or parents. What is the reason for educational bureaucrats not inserting more information on Black history? 

This is not a new problem. 

Sharon Golliday, a reading specialist and second-language-English retired professor at St. Louis Community College, said that in her generation, they say “Boomer II or Generation Jones,” socialization classes degraded students’ voices if they spoke deeply on division.

 LaGarrett J. King, associate professor of social studies education at MU said that in schools, students are taught about Black people, but not through Black people. What students are failing to understand in the educational system is that individuals lack the African Americans’ perspective on their own history. Based on research findings from the  National Center of Education Statistics   within “2017-18, about 79% of public school teachers were white and 7% were Black.” The teachings are through the eyes of white individuals who struggle to know our pain, our sorrows and our need for more in all aspects of life.

For centuries, Black individuals have fought for peace, fought for respect, but most of all, equality — from protesting for justice to using their words to be educated on the validity of knowledge. What is the reason my people have to continuously fight for something that is primarily handed to others? As a Black student learning at the collegiate level, I deserve to know what the reason is. 

Reformation in the educational systems can save a lot of young individuals from being on the streets to being in their books, truly learning the truth.

Donation Link: The Maneater believes their readers should participate in the fight against racial, social and educational inequality for all. Donate directly to NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund if you are able, thank you.  Donate Now (naacpldf.org)

Edited by Sarah Rubinstein, srubinstein@themaneater.com