#5SmartReads - May 4, 2021

On cricket, the future of Apple's app store, and Kathryn Garcia

May 2, 2021 (Letters from an American)

How would you grade yourself on your country’s history?

I would’ve graded myself a solid A as I entered college, confident that I had a thorough knowledge of the United States’ history.

After taking an African American studies class, I would’ve graded myself a C.

History is written by the winners. It’s something I never thought about until I studied history in college, and it’s a lens I apply to almost everything I read.

And when it comes to the news, I think about who the winner (read - senior management and investors) look like. And how that influences what’s reported.

US history curriculum is being evaluated right now by the Department of Education, and it’s become a political lightening rod.

My take? I hope the whitewashed version of US history is replaced with a more honest curriculum. The likelihood of that happening, however…