July 19th 2023.
Ta-Nehisi Coates made a surprise appearance at the Lexington-Richland District 5 School Board meeting in South Carolina on July 17, 2023. His presence was unexpected, yet appreciated by both faculty, parents, and administrators.
The reason for his visit was to show solidarity against a situation involving his work, his memoir Between the World and Me. An AP language teacher within the district had been reprimanded after prompting her students to read the book for a class discussion in February. The book contains subject matter that addresses institutionalized racism and its impact on Black people, which made some students uncomfortable.
It was a sign of support for the teacher, as well as a reminder to those present that controversial topics should not be shied away from in an academic setting. This was echoed by one student's statement to the board: “We cannot become critical thinkers without becoming uncomfortable in some way.”
The fight to keep these topics open for discussion is especially important in the current political climate, where anti-affirmative action cases and bans on books like Coates' are becoming more common. The result is a false sense of history being taught to younger generations.
Dr. Akil Ross, the superintendent of the Lexington-Richland School District, underlined the importance of upholding democratic principles regarding academic freedom, stating: “Sometimes there’s going to be topics you agree with, and there’s going to be topics you disagree with. Academic freedom says even if you disagree, there’ll be another opinion presented to our children. Our democracy needs that.”
Coates' presence was a reminder that people all over the country are seeing their efforts and are rooting for them. His statue in the room showed that famous figures are standing up for the preservation of truth and justice, and that they are willing to make sacrifices in order to ensure academic freedom.
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