Children growing up in the 1970s and 1980s in nearly all-White school districts were taught to be "color-blind"—to treat everyone the same regardless of skin color. Did that result in everyone living in peace and harmony? Absolutely not. Now, 40 years later, things have gotten worse in some cases. Failing to actively teach kids about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and treat everyone with respect and dignity, has resulted in a culture in which many fail to recognize when they engage in acts of bias.

In the wake of George Floyd's May 2020 murder, many school districts and academic institutions released statements supporting the Black community, fully believing that racism did not exist in their own environments. What followed was a rude awakening as a flurry of responses from alumni and students of color revealed egregious racist conduct. Students and alumni shared how they had been called the "N" word and told to "go back to your country" and how teachers allowed blatant racist treatment in their classrooms. Horror stories poured in about students mistreating other students, and teachers and school administrators being complicit through inaction or engaging in it themselves.