Virginians have differing opinions on the teaching of racism in classrooms.
“In general, how much do you think public schools should teach about the ways racism in America's history affects the country today?” That was the question posed by the Wason Center at Christopher Newport University, and the results show that one out of three white people say not much or not at all.
"And so, I think this is a meaningful conversation," says Wason Center research lab director Rebecca Bromley Trujillo. "Obviously different groups are feeling differently about this issue, although a majority support its teaching broadly speaking."
Black voters and women were more likely to say schools should teach about racism while white voters and men were more likely to say they shouldn't.
"There’s also a gender gap here," Bromley Trujillo says. "So, women are more likely to say that we should teach about racism; 42% say a great deal and 34% of men say a great deal."
Overall, 69% of Virginia voters say schools should teach about racism, while 28% say that's not really an appropriate topic for the classroom.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
