Consider This from NPR

Facing History At The National Memorial For Peace And Justice

Mar 5, 2022

Bryan Stevenson, a civil rights attorney and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, discusses the critical fight over teaching Black history in U.S. schools. He explores the controversy surrounding race education and the pushback against critical race theory. Stevenson highlights the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, emphasizing that acknowledging America's history of racial terrorism is crucial for healing. Through stories of victims, he advocates for the importance of confronting painful truths to foster justice and equality.

16:33

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Bryan Stevenson

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Debates Over Race Education in America

2min

Confronting America's Racial History Through Memorialization

2min

Confronting Buried Truths: The Fight for Historical Acknowledgment

3min

Exploring Racial Injustice and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice

3min

Confronting Racial Terror in American History

6min

Reflecting on Tragedy: The National Memorial for Peace and Justice

3min

There's a battle raging over the telling and teaching of Black history in the United States. Much of that fight has been playing out in schools. School board meetings erupt into fights as critics attack the teaching of what they call critical race theory or charge that teaching about racism is too upsetting to white children or casts students either as oppressors or the oppressed.

At the heart of these arguments is a much larger issue - whether or not the country can face the truth about its painful legacy of systemic racism.

In Montgomery, Alabama the National Memorial for Peace and Justice is dedicated to acknowledging America's history of racial terrorism factually, honestly, and completely. Civil rights attorney and memorial founder, Bryan Stevenson, believes that embracing this truth is the only path to healing.

We tour the memorial with Stevenson, hear some of the stories immortalized there and discuss the ongoing battle over how students should be taught about race.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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