In recent years, Ohio and around 40 other states have introduced legislation that aims to define standards for how history is being taught, on either the K-12 or college level.
In Ohio, Senate Bill 83 has passed that chamber but remains stalled in a House committee. If it were to become law, SB 83 would limit what it calls "controversial topics" from being taught. The bill defines those topics as climate change, diversity equity and inclusion programs, marriage and abortion.
Meanwhile, last year, the legislature passed a different bill that allocated $ 24 million to create so-called "intellectual diversity" centers at five public universities in Ohio, including at Cleveland State.
The bill's sponsor, State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, who is also behind SB 83, said, "The bill is needed because ideology is replacing the lessons of history on campus." Those centers have opened this year, which we discussed with Cirino in August on our show.
Thursday at 7 p.m., Case Western Reserve University is hosting a lecture on the growing politicization of how history is taught, featuring Dr. James Grossman, a historian and the executive director of the American Historical Association. We'll discuss the topic with him on Thursday's "Sound of Ideas."
Later in the hour, the tragic shooting that took place on May 4, 1970 on the campus of Kent State University is well known in Northeast Ohio.
The tensions between National Guardsmen and student protesters, the actual unfolding of the shooting that day and the aftermath has been subject to a lot of conjecture and speculation.
Author Brian VanDeMark has penned a meticulously researched new book, chronicling the shooting, the days of protests leading up to May 4 and the years of trials that took place after the shooting.
It's a book that is painful to read, but illuminating to work through.
Ideastream's Drew Maziasz spoke with VanDeMark, ahead of several appearances in Northeast Ohio.
Guests:
- James Grossman, Ph.D., Historian & Executive Director, American Historical Association
- Brian VanDeMark, Author, "Kent State: An American Tragedy"
- Drew Maziasz, Coordinating Producer, Ideastream Public Media
