About US: 'It's time to get off defense.' These suburban moms are ready to counter conservative activists over schools.

Florida seeks to block uncomfortable themes in schools. Its history is full of them.; A U.S.-born Muslim has a question for racists: Go back to where?; More cities seek to redress widespread 20th-century destruction of Black neighborhoods ; Undocumented parents have weathered a pandemic with no safety net; 'Nobody believed those teenagers'; Black female lawmakers warn against pitting Supreme Court candidates against each other; The history of seat-belt laws shows public health doesn't have to be partisan; An Adidas ad showed bare breasts. Is that liberating or exploitative?; Race in America: History Matters with Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) & Janai S. Nelson; New report details the influence of Christian nationalism on the insurrection; America, as told by Black teens; It's been over 20 years since Michelle Kwan lost gold. Some fans are still not over it.; Javier Bardem: 'I know what I'm talking about when I talk about minorities' ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sign up for this newsletter Read online Candid conversations about identity in 21st-century America.       By Vanessa Williams  Email Under the banner of "parental rights," a loud contingent of activists have seized the mic and the momentum in the debate over how we teach American history and diversity in public education. They are demanding that school curriculums not offend White people, insisting that "the good" of slavery  and "opposing" views of the Holocaust be given equal time in classrooms, and banning books about subjects deemed "inappropriate." News accounts of meetings and protests have largely shown those opposed to such restrictions being shouted down, threatened and chased out of buildings and parking lots by angry mobs. Our colleague Annie Gowen, a reporter on The Washington Post's national desk, puts the spotlight on a group of women who are organizing to raise their voices and perspectives in the ongoing debate over how we teach the past and present story of our country. And while we're on the subject, Gillian Brockell, who anchors the Retropolis history blog, writes about how Florida officials' efforts to block uncomfortable themes in school curriculums collides with the state's history of racial violence and injustice. Also in this edition, an essay adapted from a new book by author and commentator Wajahat Ali takes on an insult that is often hurled at immigrants and their children. Thank you for reading. From left, leaders Julie Collins, Katie Paris and Julie Womacks of Red Wine and Blue, a group of about 300,000 liberal suburban moms. (Maddie McGarvey for The Washington Post) 'Blue' suburban moms are mobilizing to counter conservatives in fights over masks, book bans and diversity education "We believe it's time to get off defense. Why should we be the ones explaining ourselves? This is not why we moved to the suburbs. We moved to the suburbs for high-quality schools," said Katie Paris, founder of Red Wine and Blue. By Annie Gowen ●  Read more »   A cabin is intentionally burned in the African American town of Rosewood, Fla., on Jan. 4, 1923. (State Archives of Florida) Florida seeks to block uncomfortable themes in schools. Its history is full of them. Republican lawmakers want to allow parents to sue schools that cause students "discomfort, guilt or anguish." Here are five uncomfortable episodes from Florida history. By Gillian Brockell ●  Read more »   (undefined) A U.S.-born Muslim has a question for racists: Go back to where? Wajahat Ali, an author and commentator, writes: "I am about as American as chicken korma, apple pie and chai, but even after 40 years I'm still told to 'go back.' " Perspective ●  By Wajahat Ali ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT     More from The Post More cities seek to redress widespread 20th-century destruction of Black neighborhoods By Troy McMullen ●  Read more »   Undocumented parents have weathered a pandemic with no safety net By Michael Loria ●  Read more »   'Nobody believed those teenagers' By Molly Hensley-Clancy ●  Read more »   Black female lawmakers warn against pitting Supreme Court candidates against each other By Marianna Sotomayor ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   The history of seat-belt laws shows public health doesn't have to be partisan Perspective ●  By Erica Westly ●  Read more »   An Adidas ad showed bare breasts. Is that liberating or exploitative? By Anne Branigin ●  Read more »   Race in America: History Matters with Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) & Janai S. Nelson Throughout American history, Black women have played a central role in the fight for civil and women's rights. Their work paved the way for future generations to ascend to new heights across all facets of society. On Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Janai S. Nelson, associate director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, each reflect on the women who inspired them, the continued structural barriers Black women face today and the forces that are pushing change in our continuing series about the role of Black women in the country's history. By Washington Post Live ●  Read more »     What we're reading New report details the influence of Christian nationalism on the insurrection By Jack Jenkins | Religion News Service ●  Read more »   America, as told by Black teens By Staff | HuffPost ●  Read more »   It's been over 20 years since Michelle Kwan lost gold. Some fans are still not over it. By Victoria Namkung | NBC News ●  Read more »   Javier Bardem: 'I know what I'm talking about when I talk about minorities' By Hector Luis Alamo | Latino Rebels  ●  Read more »     Word on the street   We think you'll like this newsletter Check out Must Reads for a curated selection of our best journalism in your inbox every Saturday, plus a peek behind the scenes into how one story came together. Sign up »

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