In a multi-ethnic, multiracial society such as ours, bigotry and victimization have always been a reality. What society does to combat the evil, however, is the real issue.
Clarence Page recommends that ”to retrieve the next generation, we must do two things: Teach them about the past and set a tone for their futures.”
His points are indeed well taken. The fight against bigotry is an ongoing battle. For our young people, a key battleground for sound democratic values is still the classroom.
In light of the above, it is confusing why the Chicago Board of Education will consider a proposal to reduce graduation requirements in social sciences from three to only two years. This is especially ironic because the Illinois legislature passed a law requiring three years of social sciences for admission to a public university. This would seem to suggest that students who are not college-bound do not require as much memory and social perspective. One can only wonder if another form of bigotry is at work.
