State Superintendent Gillian Barrow delayed the discussion due to “serious errors and omissions,” according to a spokesperson.

The way Virginia explains its history of institutional racism to students helps determine how students understand and relate to each other. So it’s easy to understand the concern about how the past is presented.

Complicating this is Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s decision to ban discussion of the legacy of systemic racism in the classroom. He enacted the ban as his first official action after taking office in February. Introducing a hint line that allows you to do so only heightened the tension.

Youngkin’s move follows a Republican narrative that seeks to attract white voters by downplaying the injustices faced by blacks. It doesn’t even pretend to be racially inclusive. The governor was more racist than anything taught in school. Worse, he was cynical. He wants to be President of the United States and seems ready to say or do almost anything to achieve his goals.Jonkin’s demeanor and behavior have been criticized by many teachers and school administrators. caused indignation among the

Balow’s recent move exacerbates the skepticism of those who fear a whitewash of history. His 400-page educational plan, which Balow found unacceptable, addresses many thorny themes. But as always, context matters most. A dry presentation of facts that does not value institutional heritage and diverse experiences between white and black, rich and poor, urban and rural, and many other differences, enables students to pass learning standards tests. It does not prepare you for learning life lessons.

Beyond the vile enslavement of humans in the 242 years before the Civil War, the state suffered from the lynching of blacks during and after Reconstruction. Two of his victims will soon be memorialized with a marker in Roanoke.

In addition to the lynching, states have passed Jim Crow laws that legalize segregation in public facilities, especially public schools. Ridiculously, the U.S. Postal Service closed its historic station facility in Orange County for an exhibit dealing with the station’s former quarantine. A Post Office spokesman called the display “inappropriate.”

Who is it not for? Like the postal service, Virginia’s education department must recognize that hiding history does not change it.

Virginia once legally prohibited marriage between whites and blacks. The racism laws were so ingrained that it required the intervention of the U.S. Supreme Court to allow mixed marriages.

Throughout its history, most Virginia and local leaders resisted changes in racist policies until forced. This included closing public schools rather than allowing black children to sit in classes with white children.

Balow says he wants to consult with consultants at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute before rescheduling the presentation of the History and Social Sciences Teaching Guidelines. The Fordham Institute is a long-standing think tank with a prominent staff and conservative tendencies. We promote charter schools. We also provide opportunities for low-income students. Above all, they seem to value excellence in education.

These goals are great. But Burrow should take note of the attitudes expressed among some people at Fordham. A recent essay by a Fellow of the Institute concludes that conservative populism and parental he-control dominate the current era, and the need to set the agenda for educational reform. There is no longer any need to find common ground with those who disagree, he wrote.

In Northern Virginia, a small group of parents appear in court to try to get rid of school board members who painted white people as oppressors and taught their children about race in a way the parents said made them feel guilty. This belligerent approach is neither practical nor productive.