This is the third in a series of local columns that seek to defend higher education against recent political attacks.

In a previous op-ed, I argued that the primary purpose of higher education is to introduce students to new ideas and equip them with the tools to evaluate those ideas critically. With 18 years of experience teaching at the college level, I can confidently say that the topics covered in a college classroom are grounded in science and research – not curated to reflect the shifting social and political climate outside the university.

Unfortunately, in today’s polarized environment, educators are increasingly pressured to ensure classroom instruction aligns with current political trends. But this is not our job. Our role is to teach students how to think, not what to think. Being an educator is both a privilege and a profound responsibility. My colleagues and I take this responsibility seriously, striving to teach with integrity and rigor. In a time when truth itself is contested and polarization threatens to consume our future, our students deserve more than half-measures or political soundbites.

Consider the debates that followed the death of George Floyd in 2020. Across the country, there were widespread calls for academic departments to revise their curricula in response to the national reckoning on race. In my department, we chose not to make any changes. These issues were not new to us — we were already addressing them in our courses. We saw no reason to alter our curriculum to fit the political moment.

Five years later, the political winds have shifted. Now, instead of being urged to address issues of race, gender, and sexuality more directly, we are being asked to scrub these so-called “contentious” topics from course titles, descriptions, and content altogether. This, in my view, would be counterproductive. Progress in our country has always depended on our willingness to study, discuss, and understand difficult issues. Topics once considered controversial — the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, desegregation, and the establishment of programs like Social Security and Medicare — are now seen as essential chapters in our national history. If conversations about these issues had been silenced, many of these transformative changes might never have taken place.

To ignore entire social groups or critical societal issues because they have become politically unpopular would be an abdication of our duty as educators. The best way to prepare young people for the world is to help them understand it, give them the tools to adapt and thrive in it, and instill in them the courage to think independently and ethically.

Therefore, we should not trim our sails to catch the prevailing political wind. Instead, we should stay the course — one grounded in facts, research, and an unwavering commitment to open inquiry.

Dr. Raymond E. Barranco is professor of sociology at Mississippi State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from Louisiana State University, and his work has been published in multiple criminology and sociology journals. Dr. Barranco invites readers to send feedback and sociology-related questions you’d like him to address in this space to [email protected].

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