The history of the United States is often taught from the perspective of the dominant culture (that is, from a colonizer’s perspective), without acknowledgement of the racist policies and actions of the U.S. government. These policies include the genocide of Native Americans and the continued breaking of numerous treaties with Native American nations; internment of U.S. citizens of Japanese descent during World War II; constitutional encoding of enslavement of Africans and others until the passage of the 13th Amendment; the post 13th Amendment imposition of Jim Crow and Sundown laws; and racial profiling of Latinx and African Americans and other people of color that continue today.

Acknowledging racism is a critical component for understanding racial inequities and structural racism. This section provides timelines acknowledging key events in our nation’s history. Understanding how communities of color fare in existing systems of education, housing, and employment, has everything to do with the racist origins of the country and the inequities that persist.