1. United States
2. Okla.
3. Letter

I strongly oppose the revised social studies standards proposed by Oklahoma Secretary of Education Ryan Walters. These new standards promote a distorted, revisionist view of American history that downplays the role of racism, oppression, and injustice faced by marginalized communities. Denying students a comprehensive understanding of our nation's struggles for civil rights does a grave disservice to the truth and prevents them from learning valuable lessons about perseverance and progress. We must teach the unvarnished facts about past discrimination and inequities in order to build a more just and equitable society. Censoring discussions of diversity, identity, and social movements is antithetical to the principles of academic freedom and critical thinking that should be upheld in our educational system. I urge you to reject these regressive standards and instead adopt a curriculum that accurately reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives that have shaped our shared history.