When the war against “Critical Race Theory” (placed in quotation marks because what they are calling Critical Race Theory and what Critical Race Theory actually is are two different things) is won by those who would have our children learn only a very whitewashed version of our nation’s history, who will tell our stories? Storytelling is revolutionary act because in the face of propaganda campaigns that label the truth as dangerous, those of us who continue speaking out and telling the stories of what actually happened do so at our own risk. The storytellers become targets. Educators who share our stories face the risk of losing their jobs. All across the United States, laws are being put in place that would prevent the truth of slavery, Jim Crow and the ongoing movements for social justice and civil rights from being told. We need storytellers to hold space for the truth and deliver it as is. Truth is sometimes ugly. It is harsh. It is often shameful, but it is truth, and running away from it or trying to hide it behind cleverly constructed misinformation campaigns won’t erase its existence. The same people who would compare mask and vaccine mandates to segregation are the same people who don’t want the story of segregation to be told. Make that make sense. Michael Harriot and I sat down to talk about the importance of storytelling, especially in the face of the current state of affairs in our nation. Check out our talk and let us know what you think in the comments. What stories do you believe need to be told no matter what? What stories are you telling? For this and more in-depth conversations, visit us here, and share your thoughts with us online in social media by following the hashtag #RootInstitute.