After the school district in Carroll, Texas named a new school after George Dawson – a slave descendant who became a successful author and educator – they announced that they will not be teaching his biography in its entirety due to concerns about “inappropriate” content.
George Dawson was an incredible man with an amazing story. Dawson, the grandson of a slave, lived the majority of his life in Dallas Texas. In his biography Life Is So Good, he looks back on his remarkable life, discussing what life was like in the 20th Century. His book includes issues like Jim crow racism, lynching, segregation, and; civil rights. Dawson was born in 1898 learned to read at the age of 98, he lived to be 103 years old. He was an inspiration to all who knew him. His story is one that should be told and remembered by all.
The announcement to cancel Dawson’s biography from the reading curriculum has caused an uproar among the local community, with many people arguing that it is ridiculous to censor such an important and inspiring figure from the curriculum. What makes the situation even more ridiculous is the fact that the school is named after George Dawson ! Some argue that certain aspects of Dawson’s life (e.g., a lynching he witnessed) are simply too graphic for children.
District administration declined an interview, but released a statement saying that the book has not been banned or challenged by any parents. They went on to say that some content was deemed inappropriate after a seventh grade teacher requested to teach it.
Much of Dawson’s surviving family still lives in North Texas. His great-grandson, Chris Irvin, wasn’t aware the district was reviewing the book until he was contacted for this story. He expressed his disappointment, telling reporters “You take away the bad and the ugly and you only talk about the good, that doesn’t add up.” Irvin – who studied African American history in college – also mentioned that he and his family have visited the school at least five times for a full cover-to-cover reading of the biography.
District administration said in an email that they could not share what content was deemed inappropriate until the review was complete, but they did mention that an evaluation is ongoing with options ranging from removing sections to notifying parents.
Raven Rolle, a 2019 Carroll ISD graduate and former Dawson Middle student commented on the situation, saying “It’s not surprising to me […] It’s disappointing, but I’m not surprised.” She also mentioned that she wishes the school district spent more time sharing Dawson’s story when she was a student there.
Irvin suspects chapter one, which describes a lynching, could be the problem. “His best friend was actually accused of raping a white woman […] So, he sat there with his dad and watched his best friend getting lynched for a crime that he did not commit.”
What do you think? Should the school district be teaching Dawson’s biography in full, or are some aspects of his life “inappropriate” for students? Let us know in the comments below.
