?There?s no way to hide history?: Teachers react to Georgia law limiting discussion of race

According to the text of HB 1084, this includes any discussions that “the United States of America is fundamentally racist,” “any other form of race scapegoating or race stereotyping,” or “espousing personal political beliefs.” The law “prevents divisive concepts and ideologies from invading the classroom” and removes “obscene materials” from school libraries.It does not address, however, how violations would be enforced or what the ramifications would be.“School is a ground for growth for students, growth of the minds of kids,” said Michael Howard, a social studies teacher at Booker T. “This threatens that.”Many Black educators said the new law could not only threaten their jobs, but that it also impacts their ability to teach and connect with students. As Phyllis Graham, a retired teacher in Augusta, put it, the laws are designed to “not have white kids feel bad about what their great-grandparents did.” “They are thinking nothing of what Black children need to know about history — or even what’s happening now in America,” she said. They will have a literal impact on how educated our children — Black, white and brown — will become, from what their teachers can teach them in classrooms.” Keene Walker, a veteran educator who teaches at South Atlanta High School, said that students depend on teachers to elevate conversations about current events.“How would a student feel sitting in a classroom now, where last year the same instructor would enlighten, bring the class the truth and put it into historical context,” he said, “but now someone could possibly come in and threaten that teacher’s livelihood over teaching the truth?” “It would be utterly irresponsible to ignore significant events that happen because it could be about race,” he went on.