Racism Didn’t Disappear. So Why Aren’t We Teaching the Next Generation How to Recognize It?

I’m tired of hearing, “Just get over it,” whenever racism comes up.

I understand why some people believe we’ve made enough progress to leave the conversation behind. We’re no longer living under the exact same systems and laws that existed generations ago, and that progress matters.

But progress doesn’t mean the problem disappeared.

Racism didn’t vanish just because some of its most obvious forms changed.

For many people, racism still shows up in everyday life and not always through something blatant or easy to identify, but through unconscious bias, stereotypes, racial assumptions, unequal treatment, ignorance, and dismissive attitudes toward experiences people are still having today.

And when we refuse to acknowledge those realities, we make it harder to address them.

This petition is not about teaching children to hate anyone.

It is not about blaming an entire race of people for the actions of others. And it is not about making every problem in society about racism.

It’s about education.

If we can teach children about history, why shouldn’t we also teach them how prejudice and racial bias can continue to influence the world around them?

Children deserve the tools to recognize bias, question stereotypes, understand perspectives different from their own, and treat people with dignity even when they don’t personally understand someone else’s experience.

That is why we are asking Jacksonville’s school districts to develop and implement age-appropriate education that helps students understand modern racism, racial bias, stereotypes, implicit bias, and how these issues can affect individuals and communities today.

Because the goal shouldn’t be to raise another generation that argues about whether racism exists.

The goal should be to raise a generation equipped to recognize it, challenge it, and ultimately create less of it.

Imagine what could happen if we stopped waiting until people experienced racism themselves to take it seriously.

Imagine a generation growing up understanding that someone’s humanity doesn’t become more or less valuable because of the color of their skin.

Imagine children learning not only what happened in the past, but also how the lessons of that history can help us recognize harmful patterns in the present.

That’s the future I’m asking us to work toward.

We can’t change everything overnight. But education is a place to start.

Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it disappear.

Talking about it doesn’t create division.

Sometimes, talking about difficult things is how we learn to understand one another—and understanding is where meaningful change can begin.

If you believe our children deserve an education that prepares them to recognize modern racism and racial bias, please sign this petition.

Not because we agree on everything.

Not because we’re trying to rewrite the past.

But because we believe every person deserves to be seen as fully human, and our children deserve the knowledge and compassion to help build a future where that is the standard.

Let’s give the next generation something better than “just get over it.”

Let’s give them the tools to understand.

I’m a person who believes education can help us understand one another better, and I’m asking my community to join me in pursuing that.

Let’s BE the change this world needs to see, together!