[South Carolina Republicans have banned teaching about topics like
systemic racism — and students have played a part in it. ]
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THIS TEACHER COULDN’T TALK ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM IN CLASS BECAUSE
THE GOP BANNED IT  
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Nathalie Baptiste
June 20, 2023
Huff Post
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_ South Carolina Republicans have banned teaching about topics like
systemic racism — and students have played a part in it. _

Ta-Nehisi Coates, shown in 2018. Mary Wood was prevented from using
his memoir, "Between the World and Me" in her Advanced Placement
Language Arts Class in Chapin, South Carolina., (Photo by Shahar
Azran/WireImage)

 

In February, as part of Black History Month, a high school teacher in
South Carolina had to stop using Ta-Nehisi Coates’ memoir “Between
the World and Me” in a lesson plan about systemic racism — because
teachers are prohibited from making students feel uncomfortable about
their race or gender
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the state.

Students complained after Mary Wood, who teaches Advanced Placement
Language Arts at Chapin High School in Chapin, South Carolina,
included the book in a lesson intended to guide students through
participating in civil debate, local news outlet The State first
reported [[link removed]].

Wood’s lesson plan was a part of preparing for Advanced Placement
tests and involved watching two videos about systemic racism, reading
Coates’ memoir and doing research with a variety of sources. Then,
students were meant to write essays on their understanding of the book
and make an argument about whether they agreed with Coates that
systemic racism is a problem in the U.S.

“This wasn’t one side or the other,” Wood, who has been teaching
for 14 years, told HuffPost. “I wanted them to develop their own
understanding.”

Students complained that the lesson made them feel ashamed to be white
and were successful in blocking the section on systemic racism
entirely.

“Hearing (Wood’s) opinion and watching these videos made me feel
uncomfortable,” one student said in their complaint
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“I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian. These videos portrayed an
inaccurate description of life from past centuries that she is trying
to resurface.”

In 2021, South Carolina Republicans included a provision in the state
budget
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that taxpayer dollars may not be used to teach lessons suggesting that
any race or sex is inherently “racist, sexist, or oppressive whether
consciously or unconsciously” or that cause anyone to feel “guilt,
anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his
race or sex.”

“If the goal is to undermine public education, they’re doing a
good job of it,” Wood said of the lawmakers who passed the policy.
“You cannot talk about glitter and rainbows and still get students
to engage with differing viewpoints.”

Once the lesson, which Wood had taught the previous year without
issue, was axed, she said she kept her head down and proceeded with an
improvised lesson plan using AP tests from the past.

“I was mortified professionally and I felt my hands were tied,”
she said. “I certainly didn’t want to use anything
self-selected.”

South Carolina’s policy that essentially bars teachers from teaching
about certain topics is a disservice to students, Wood said,
especially those who are supposed to be preparing for college.

“I don’t want my kid to go into a college classroom thinking a
professor isn’t allowed to speak about a topic because he came from
a high school that limited instruction,” Wood said.

But schools nationwide have moved to limit what teachers can teach in
their classrooms. Republicans have made critical race theory a
boogeyman for conservative parents.

In reality, it’s a college-level academic theory that studies the
way racism has influenced policy-making in the United States, but the
GOP has perverted it to mean any discussion of racism or inequality.
Lawmakers in Florida
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among those who have restricted what teachers can say in their own
classrooms. Meanwhile, educators are on edge, fearing that saying the
wrong thing could cost them their jobs.

And South Carolina, like many states, is in the throes of a teacher
shortage. The state had nearly 1,500 teacher vacancies
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school year started, according to an annual report — an increase of
approximately 500 from the prior academic year.

South Carolina educators cite the same issues that are plaguing their
colleagues in other states, including low pay, funding cuts and
limited support from administrators. But the culture wars are wearing
on them, too, as routine lessons about racism and history have been
turned into just another political talking point. Educators who try to
teach full and accurate history are labeled radicals who are out to
indoctrinate children.

And South Carolina Republicans do not plan on stopping at the current
provision, which will remain in effect unless the legislature removes
it.

A bill requiring “fact-based” discussion on lessons about race
is pending in the legislature
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It does not specifically mention critical race theory, but, like the
budget provision, it does bar educators from teaching their students
that any race
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inherently oppressive and outlines steps for parents to object to
lessons being taught at school. However, it does not include the
restriction that bans making a student uncomfortable.

“The First Amendment protects freedom of speech,” Wood said.
“And if the state government is intentionally limiting freedom of
speech, then they are the ones supporting the indoctrination that
teachers are always being accused of.”

_Nathalie Baptiste is based in Washington, DC and was previously a
reporter and columnist at Mother Jones._

 

* Teaching About Racism
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* South Carolina
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* GOP
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* Prohibition
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