I rarely engage in discussions about race/racism anymore because most of my white counterparts generally stick their fingers in their ears and go, “Lalalalala, I can’t hear you!” “You should be nicer and maybe I’d listen to you!” “That’s too hard! That’s too much work!” 🙄😒

But: to my educators who are white, I promise you you won’t die if you read and teach non-Westernized perspectives on race, religion, economics, history, psychology, literature, math, science, and technological advancement. In FACT, a very real reason that your nonwhite students seem to not “perform” for you is because nothing you say or do in the classroom represents them beyond the surface. Quoting Túpac and MLK and Oprah and Obama 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 and singing Despacitos and serving Nacjos and coloring skulls on Dia de los Muertos and throwing up Cesar Chávez quotes and knowing Migos lyrics or saying “yassssss” isn’t culturally relevant.

But teaching about Mansa Musa, La Raza, who Texas really belongs to (along with California, Arizona, and New Mexico), what Mr. 1492 REALLY brought with him to the new world, the Moors of Spain, the REAL origins of the Silk Road, putting aside your “classics” (so chock full of reinforced stereotypes and blatant racism that you don’t even address), global political perspectives, other cultural identities and ideologies… that’s real education that includes everyone.

I wish you’d put down your excessive patriotism and fragility for one year, and actually expand your content knowledge in a way that includes more than the lies you tell about Abraham Lincoln “freeing slaves” and Thomas Jefferson “loving” one.😑 That you’d tell the true story of the Alamo and the trail of tears. 😒 That you’d teach the real history of immigration in America and interment camps and detention centers geared toward the undesirables of this great nation.💅🏾

But. Truth isn’t cute is it? It’s not designed for fragile souls who like to flick flags in peoples faces and save dogs at all costs while denying children water, food, and clothes.