I Teach the Truth

The author reflects upon how her field of African American history is in the crosshairs of this most recent battle of the nation's culture war. Once maybe regarded as a niche or narrow area of history (although it is not), African American history has become one of many targets of legislative and activist efforts to end the teaching of honest, thorough, and accurate history. African American history is not alone: ethnic studies and women's and gender studies are also targets of groups ranging from parents to politicians seeking to intervene in classrooms. Educators can foster a spirit of transparency that acknowledges the dynamics that inform the work, models how to grapple with uncertainty, and shows that classrooms are places in which students' intellectual growth serves them as individuals and members of society. The author provides questions for teachers to reflect upon: (1) Can you explain why you teach, in addition to what you teach?; (2) Where are you meeting your students?; (3) What kind of world do you bring to your students?; (4) Whom do you trust?; and (5) How can you cultivate more trust?