Nothing should surprise me these days, but I was indeed shocked when I heard a prominent NBA player say, \u201cnobody taught us about voting.\u201d While I apologize for not remembering exactly who made such a candid admission to camera, the declaration isn\u2019t much different from the sentiments expressed by former NFL all-star Brandon Marshall or Lebron James. As an educator, I work hard to hear students and take what they say seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should this question be interpreted literally? Systemic racism, narrowly standardized curriculum, and deprivation are the ingredients baked into the impoverished educational experience consumed by far too many American children, yet still I wonder, is it possible that kids are not being taught something as fundamental as the importance of voting? Are we so racist that our educational system is deliberately disenfranchising \u201cother people\u2019s children\u201d from even minimal access to participatory democracy? Even if a child never encounters a decent teacher in twelve years of schooling, are the social studies textbooks so shitty and bowdlerized that voting isn\u2019t mentioned? How can an American not know about voting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n