What Next What Kids Aren't Learning About US History

Conservatives have long complained that teaching American history with slavery and genocide and systemic oppression is just too negative, and the Trump administration has gone as far as attacking the Smithsonian for focusing too much on “how horrible our country is.” But omitting the shameful aspects of America’s past doesn’t just distort history—it impairs our ability to understand the present. Guest: Clint Smith, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America and the new poetry collection Above Ground. Want more What Next?

You can listen to What Next What Kids Aren't Learning About US History online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

What Next What Kids Aren't Learning About US History is an episode from Represent by Slate Podcasts.

This episode is 32:29 long.

This episode was published on Dec 1, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Represent when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.