Debra Marshall

I am concerned that my state’s recent legislation will stifle my ability to teach students about how they fit into our histories and why they fit where they fit in society today.

Being white is not mutually exclusive to the goals of contextually teaching the reality of various American histories and the roles of various groups within that history. Young people understand this, and it is our job to be both thoughtful and critical when we have discussions about race, gender, class and other methods of social classification.

Having the state of Florida legislate teaching by eradicating the voices of minorities is scary, and while it might just be happening in the social sciences today, the path is now open for this kind of regulation to happen in all disciplines.