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The tools for inquiry and dialogue are crucial if we are to build a just and thriving society. As professor of education Gregory M. Anderson points out: “Democracy cannot be sustained, let alone flourish, in the 21st century without open and robust spaces for rational discussion and analysis about our different experiences and viewpoints. This is an essential reason why inclusive education is crucial to our basic self-interests and our collective success.

From an early age, each of us must navigate numerous social institutions, many of which were designed to perpetuate centuries-old inequities. For us to move in those spaces with power and agency, civic knowledge, skills and dispositions are essential. But alarming trends reveal a sharp decline in civics competency among adults in the United States, and participation in places that bring people together to solve common problems has withered, too. Civics education needs a critical social justice lens so people can fulfill the potential of a multiracial and inclusive democracy.

The accurate history of American slavery should be taught to children in age-appropriate and honest ways that develop critical thinking, while recognizing that Black history is U.S. history and goes beyond slavery. These LFJ publications—including Teaching Hard History: American Slavery, a K-12 curriculum framework—reinforce the importance of teaching this history honestly and provide resources for educators and parents.