Prof. James McCarty Featured in BU Today
The following is an excerpt from BU Today’s article “Why We Need More MLK in Schools” by Steve Holt, featuring Assistant Clinical Professor of Religion and Conflict Transformation James McCarty, published on November 29, 2022. Click here to read the full article.
BU Today: As a King scholar, what was your first reaction to hearing that initial drafts of Virginia’s public school curriculum mostly erased King from its K-5 history and social sciences requirements?
McCarty: My initial thoughts are that it is truly incredible to think that King, perhaps the most recent addition to the pantheon of American democratic heroes (if the Washington Mall is any indication), is not appropriate for students preparing to become citizens. King was a Christian pastor, a champion of democracy who secured voting rights for millions, quoted Thomas Jefferson regularly, and is an internationally influential voice for peace—but he’s too dangerous for youth to learn about? It raises the question of what is actually so dangerous about King. The most likely answer to that is his firm stance on behalf of racial justice, economic restructuring, and critiques of America’s militarism. In the era of critical race theory panic, all of these, especially the concern for racial justice, come to mind.