Reactionary politicians, school boards, and well-funded private entities are waging a coordinated assault on critical thought in the U.S. education system. They have banned thousands of books, prohibited certain discussion topics, and targeted educators who refuse to toe the line. The teaching of history is at the center of this assault. The censored version of U.S. history whitewashes violence and oppression as well as the history of popular resistance. In so doing, it also seeks to prevent students of different backgrounds from seeing their shared interest in liberation. This panel of historians and educators will situate the current assault in the broader history of attacks on critical thinking. They will also discuss how educators, students, and communities are fighting back.

Presenters: Jesse Hagopian, Paul Ortiz, and Ellen Schrecker

Part of the 2024–25 Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series, "What Are Universities For? Struggles for the Soul of Higher Education."