By State Representative Mesha Mainor (D-Atlanta) (1,151 words)
When I first read House Bill 888, I thought to myself, people must remember there are Black children with their own histories who are enrolled in Georgia schools, too. How do I know this? I have two Black daughters in the Atlanta Public School System. I was willing to move from great schools in Sandy Springs to a failing school in Atlanta because my youngest child needed a more diverse environment.
My oldest daughter, Chloé, attended First Montessori, which is now Springmont Montessori, followed by Heards Ferry Elementary. She thrived in these settings and overcame the racism she encountered from her peers in elementary schools. The stories she would share were heartbreaking, but she learned to say, “I can’t help it if they are ignorant. That’s on them. If they think I’m less than them, then let them keep thinking that as I pass by them.”
Chloé is strong, confident and articulates how she feels with ease. Alexis on the other hand, internalizes things. It did not matter how often I told her she was fabulous. At five years old, it still hurt her feelings to come out of bouncy houses at birthday parties after girls told her to get out because her skin was dirty or they do not play with Black girls. The very last straw was her playing and running in the house pretending she was riding a horse and saying a racial slur. Chloé and I were in disbelief and asked her to repeat the slur. She boldly repeated the expletive, and I was shocked to learn that she heard this from her own teacher. I knew right then and there that we were not going back to Heards Ferry Elementary in the fall. When I told friends who were educators and principals, they urged me to report the incident. I was so disgusted that I refused to give the administration any of my time and let them know how they mortified a Black family. I decided moving back to Atlanta, the community that raised me, was best. I grew up in the historic Westside, home to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; his home was one mile from my family’s home. While my children needed diversity, I did not want them to go to an all-Black school as that is not diverse. The change eventually worked well for both of them but not so well in other circumstances. My daughters are excelling at two schools with diverse student populations, Midtown High School and a local charter school.
Similar to a private company, excellence is equivalent to how diverse the workforce population is. Companies have found that the more diverse a workplace, the more profitable. Companies grow when they have different employee perspectives to solve problem while homogenous environments remain stagnant. The real world, beyond a neighborhood’s wall, is nothing like that neighborhood.
However, a parent will fail and harm their child by pretending Black people and their history do not exist. Black people exist. Black history exists. Many Black men, women and children came to America on slave ships and were sold as products. President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery with the 13th amendment, which left the now free men and women with their soul and faith. Men and women who know that though they may have nothing, God will provide.
Before slavery, Native Americans were terrorized by a more modern enemy that drove them out of their homes. Two weeks ago, Alexis was crying at her computer during virtual learning. I asked why she was crying and she pointed to the computer saying, “The Trail of Tears video.” This learning experience gave me an opportunity as a parent to discuss her feelings and identify lessons I wanted her to learn. Unfortunately, House Bill 888, tries to say it is a freedom of speech bill. Yet, it would hide away the experience of slaves and other groups. It would take away the voice of Georgia’s Tomochichi.
Within the walls of the State Capitol, there are historical artifacts. If House Bill 888 passes, schools could be sued if they bring students to the State Capitol and discuss the artifacts that grace its walls. It would also be illegal for my children to present a class assignment for Black History Month. It would be against the law to talk about Martin Luther King Jr. and all of the civil rights giants that make our capital city the marvel it is now. These leaders fought against systemic racism. House Bill 888 unintentionally purports what it says does not exist, which is systemic racism. Systemic racism does not say or mean all white people are racist. It does not say any person is racist. Systemic racism looks like insurance companies “red lining” Black communities; loan interest rates being higher for Black people; food deserts threatening Black communities. The legislature ousted the first Black legislators because they were not white. Systemic racism is the fact of our past.
I hope his bill sheds more light on America and Georgia’s troubled past so that the future is more equitable. As a progressive, conservative, moderate and liberal Democrat, my views are all over the place. I do not believe one party has all the answers. People are unique. Black people are not all alike just as all white, Asian and others are not the same either.
Therefore, if certain communities believe Black people and their histories do not exist, pretend that locally. Do not force this further divisive opinion on others. Although everyone is entitled to their opinion, right or wrong, good or bad, all parents across Georgia do not agree with this stance. HB 888 would take away my rights by not allowing my child to go to school and learn history. It would also take away rights from Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy, National Congress of American Indians and the 13 Indigenous tribes native to Georgia. The author and co-sponsors of the bill have become my friends over the past year. I have engaged in race-related discussions with them at the Georgia Legislative Leadership Institute this past summer. I believe we all agree that there are opportunities to learn from one another. The world is not black or white.
I hope that those who read this article have a glimpse of realizing, “I may not be considering my non-white counterparts in this bill who are also Georgia citizens.” Georgia does not have to be like the other states. We can stand up and say, “There are differences; we respect differences, and we compromise.” Even if every state is doing this, we do not have to follow their leads. We are the leaders. We can show a bipartisan, racially inclusive way to achieve something we all want. Let’s choose a critical race to humanity. A critical race to equality. And a critical race to equity.
Representative Mesha Mainor represents the citizens on District 56, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves on the Education, Governmental Affairs and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.
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