I hear conservative people express these fears all the time, the fear that somehow white children will learn to feel personally guilty about the history of racism in the United States.

That fear isn't rational. It's perfectly possible to learn our true history without anything negative happening.

You know, we can look at Germany as an example. Starting at about 10 years old, German children learn in increasingly explicit detail about the horrors of the Holocaust. Throughout their educational careers, they learn about the Nazi regime in increasingly nuanced and deep ways.

The big theme that they're presented with is that they're learning about what happened so they can be on guard that it never happens again. They're taught to feel personal responsibility, not personal guilt.

Not feeling guilty personally is built into the curriculum. Feeling responsible personally for what happens today is built into the curriculum.

We could do that too if we chose to.