In the May 13 issue of the Sewickley Herald, a letter urged the Quaker Valley School Board to ban ideas from the curriculum, restricting free thought and free speech in our schools (“What is Quaker Valley’s stance on critical race theory?”). As an educator and a proud American, I was shocked to see such arguments expressed openly in my local paper. The letter also included a mischaracterization of its supposed subject matter: critical race theory.
I have read and taught work by critical race theorists in my own college-level courses. Critical race theory is not “a racist teaching” designed to divide people. It is a broad term for a huge variety of attempts to think critically about how ideas of race have shaped society. It can provide a valuable starting point for difficult conversations that are long overdue.
The ability to think and speak openly about controversial issues — including those surrounding race — is a hallmark of a free society. While I was disturbed to read this call for censorship, I was relieved to learn that the Quaker Valley School Board has not wasted their valuable time responding to those who would curtail the rights of our teachers and our children.
John MacNeill Miller, Ph.D.
Sewickley
