Teaching about race and racism: The imperative of history

Abstract

Teaching About Race and Racism: The Imperative of History makes a case for teaching about the history of the construction of race in the classroom. Documenting how every institution in the country participated in creating a racial hierarchy with white at the top and noting how cultural beliefs and values were then created to reinforce racist assumptions, the author argues that teaching the evolution of the political and social construction of race offers students an opportunity to step back from conditioned personal defensiveness and denial in order to individually and collectively understand and take responsibility for racial justice.