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"A South Carolina teacher was reported by her students for teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. According to the Washington Post, English teacher Mary Wood sought to teach her all-white class about what it means to be Black in America using Coates’ literature. However, she was reported by two of her students. They notified the school board that Wood was attempting to discuss race in the classroom.
“The students wrote in emails that the book made them ashamed to be white,” the outlet documented. “[Her lesson] violated a South Carolina proviso that forbids teachers from making students’ feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress’ on account of their race.”
Students also expressed that reading Coates’ book felt like “reading hate propaganda towards white people.” “I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” another student wrote to the board. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”"
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Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.
“The students wrote in emails that the book made them ashamed to be white,” the outlet documented. “[Her lesson] violated a South Carolina proviso that forbids teachers from making students’ feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress’ on account of their race.”
Students also expressed that reading Coates’ book felt like “reading hate propaganda towards white people.” “I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” another student wrote to the board. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”"
Link
Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.