special feature
10 Ways
to Increase
Racial and
Cultural
Literacy
BY: Deborah Song
When thinking about raising kids to be more
tolerant, my mind always zeroes in on a scene
in American History X: Dad and son discuss
the merits of the son’s black teacher. The son,
played by Edward Norton, is enamored with
his black professor. Dad discounts the son’s
teacher based on race. The chink in the armor
was subtle and seemed innocuous enough at
the time, but it teared open a gash for a deluge
of hate that would consume the son as an adult.
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