Memory Laws In The US
I was reading on the so called memory laws or a state-approved interpretation of history. There have been states (Idaho, Oklahoma, Virginia etc.) to name a few, that have passed their own type of memory laws, with the intent of giving white people a version of history that they are comfortable with, even if not historically truthful.
An example of what these laws look like, can be shown by
the way certain historical topics such as american slavery are reframed. In order for them to cater to white denial, the slave labor system is re represented as something that helped black americans as something that was good for them, downplaying the very core of slavery which was about denying black people their freedom and rights of citizenship and exploiting them for profit that was never their own.
The root of holding black people in bondage was racism and white supremacy. Slaves were viewed as racially inferior, and this was used by white southerners to justify their enslavement. They believed blacks were born to be in a position of servitude to whites and they would not have them as their equals.
These laws were originally created as a response aimed at Critical Race Theory. Critical Race theory was the work of legal scholars and people from a more academic background. It is not taught in public schools and most Americans do not have an accurate knowledge of it or understand it well enough to explain what it is.
Instead these laws have the effect of regulating what teachers and students can discuss on topics dealing with race, history, or gender, which is a violation of the first amendment.
Hopefully these laws will be overturned in the future because if they are not, we tread on dangerous ground. If we cannot acknowledge and confront the racism then how can we do the same for now? We do not know where we are unless we consult the past, and if we don't consult the past in history we don't know the amount of work that there is left to do.
Copyright © Ian McCleary | Year Posted 2024
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