In San Francisco, Virus is Contained but Schools Are Still Closed

[Rob Wick]

Gene,

Just off the top of my head, I would say the biggest flaw is that she didn't attempt to get voices that disagreed with her main thesis. There is no question that she is an ideologue, but to hold that against her, as some academic historians do, strikes me as hypocrisy, given that academic historians just as easily can (and sometimes do) succumb to ideology in their work. Some, such as Eugene Genovese, go from one extreme to the other. Genovese, who is considered on of the premier historians of American slavery, started out as a self-described Marxist and by the time of his death in 2012 was about as far right as one could get. Whether it comes from the New Left or Neo-Conservatism, there are plenty of academic historians who have an ax to grind in their work. In fact, I would argue that the divide between academic and popular history is as much based on ideology as it is, allegedly, on pedagogy.

The story of slavery and its role in the creation and sustenance of the United States, continues to evolve. There is no "right" answer out there; only what the available evidence currently shows. That evidence can be, and often is, superseded by new evidence or new interpretations of current evidence. As an example, the notion that African-Americans contributed to their own freedom has gained currency over the years. While I personally think some of it is accurate, and some less so, it remains an important discussion to have.

As for the usefulness of the 1619 Project, I think if it promotes discussion that justifies its existence enough.

This is in no way suggesting that there is no such thing as truth. What I am saying is that truth depends on the available evidence. When new evidence is offered, or old evidence is re-evaluated, it can change our understanding of an event or of a person. To view Lincoln as a marble man or plaster saint is two-dimensional childishness. It's a simplistic way to judge his contribution to American society. Accepting that Lincoln was a human being who approached situations only knowing what he knew, without special or mystical insight that he never had, and accepting that he was sometimes right, and sometimes wrong, is a more mature way to interpret it. That's also why I find the actions of the San Francisco Board of Education to be misguided. There is enough simple-mindedness to go around.

Best
Rob