history tv, sign up for our newsletter using the qr code on our screen to receive the weekly schedule. -- sign up for the american history tv newsletter today and be sure to watch american history tv every saturday or anytime online at c-span.org slash history. good afternoon. my name it is angela sailor and i am the vice president of the -- for the heritage foundation. on behalf of our president, welcome to our first principal town hall series. you know, this past year, our history and founding principles have been questioned, doubted, and challenged. others have sought to dangerously distort our american heritage and to fundamentally change it. but during this time of crisis, your heritage foundation has produced the first principles

town hall webinar series to speak to this moment, offering participants the educational tools to give children an honest understanding of our history and to help them appreciate america's political and cultural achievements. president ronald reagan famously stated that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. and preserving our liberties requires knowledge of our origins. we are delighted if you are joining us for part two of our town hall series, winning freedom, in which doctor joseph loconte we'll explain how exceptional the american revolution was in world history and why it could easily have collapsed into tyranny like the french revolution. joining joe will be an expert panel to discuss the importance of teaching america's founding principles in civics education.

and cultivating and informed community of involved parents. offer the best possible roadmap to a flourishing civil society for all americans -- doctor joseph loconte, director of the simon center for american studies -- it is our leading scholar on -- he is also a former associate professor of history at the kings college in york city and author of the new york times bestseller, a hobbit, a wardrobe, and a great war. how jay are our token and the us louis rediscovered faith, friendship, and heroism. as we welcome dr. joseph loconte, we encourage you to send questions throughout the offense as we will have an opportunity to respond to them later in the program. joe, over to you. >> well, thank you, angela for that very gracious introduction.

thank you all for joining us today. we have a terrific program lined up for you. before i introduce our all-star panel, and they are an all-star panel, let me just offer some historical perspective. to kind of remind us what it is that we are fighting to preserve, what is under attack, what we are fighting to preserve. so, imagine a group of revolutionaries, tired of thierry, hungry for liberty, and ready to throw off the chains of political oppression. they are prepared to risk everything for freedom. they want an end to absolute monarchy. what they want is a republic. a democratic form of government based on we the people. so, they launch their revolution for freedom and to the astonishment of the world, they are successful! they topolia would regime. they defeat the king and his army. they arrive and -- write a new constitution. but there is no sign of the dawn of universal bliss because once this revolution gets going, the champagne stops flowing. something goes terribly wrong

with his revolution. instead of delivering liberty, a quality, and fraternity, it produces new forms of oppression. injustice, human misery -- instead of a quest for enlightenment, a crackdown on free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion. instead of democracy and the rule of law, we get mob rule and the reign of terror. julyi am talking, of course, at the french revolution, which began 1789, bastille day, that is independence day for the french. by the way, if you're an american, july 14th is really the best day to be dining at a french restaurant because, for once, the french waiters will be nice to you. but put that aside. the french revolution began with a rage against absolute power. it ended with a government powerless to govern. it ended with a man on horseback, a dictator for life. there were two revolutions in the 18th century. ladies and gentlemen, the one

that began in paris, yes, a collapsed into tyranny. but another revolution for freedom was launched here in philadelphia in 1776. it began with these immortal words. we hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they're endowed by their creator certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. and to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governor. and any form of government that becomes destructive of these and, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government. here, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time in history, a political revolution declares the national equality and natural rights of every human being. universal rights that cannot be taken away because these rights come from the hand of god.

was the american revolution a radical event or a conservative event? think about it. most of the american colonists are from england. in rebelling against the crowd, they are claiming their chartered rights as englishman. they already are among the freest people in the world! they have the protections of the magnet car to, which that that no political leader was above the law. they have the english polish rights, established during the glorious revolution. they have local self governing assemblies, the town hall. and they also have the writings of the english philosopher john locke! john locke! he gave them all of the ideas, some of them pretty radical, that launched the american revolution. they can be found in his two treatise's of government, published 16 89. the concept of human equality, freedom, natural rights, the responsibility of government to protect these rights, and the right to revolution if

government trampled our rights. it is all bear in john locke's two treatise is. well, was the american revolution radical or conservative? maybe both! maybe it was both. the question now is, why did the american revolution succeed? where the french revolution failed? part of the answer can be found here, yes, in this book. unlike the french, the americans drew strength from the teachings of the bible. think about it. the narrative arc of scripture, the story of god, rescuing the jews from slavery in egypt and bringing them into the freedom of the promised land. here in the old testament. and in the new testament, the story of jesus, rescuing his people from the slavery of sin and the fear of death. the american revolution is the bible. it was the freedom book. the freedom book! next to the declaration of the constitution, the bible might be called america's third founding document.

and unlike in france, the american revolution, it was backed up by the nations clergy, from all denominations. take the reverend john witherspoon, one of the 56 signers of the declaration. he lost a son in the revolutionary war. he delivered assistance to general washington, john adams called him as high a son of liberty as a man in america. he personified this powerful bond between faith and freedom that characterize the american revolution. so, the americans have a lot going for them! they don't care about everything that came before like the french. they claim their political inheritance from great britain and its ancient constitution. they have the support of the christian churches. but what about the elephant in the room? what about the elephant in the room? what about the existence of slavery in the american comments? the english author, samuel johnson, pointed out the hypocrisy of the american revolutionary, many of whom

owned slaves! how is it that we hear the loudest yells for liberty, he wrote, among the drivers of -- i think many colonial americans had a guilty conscience about slavery. a guilty conscience! patrick henry, confessing his own guilt and hypocrisy, said he looked forward to the time when an opportunity will be offered to abolish this lamentable evil. here is the point. the american revolution creates that opportunity! because the declaration proclaimed for the first time, that our nation was coming into existence as the sworn enemy of human slavery. the enemy of human slavery! the revolution puts the institution of slavery on notice all over the world. its days are going to be numbered. until recently, we used to know these facts. we used to know them! abraham lincoln knew them. he said he never had a feeling politically that it offspring from the sentiments and bodied

and the declaration of independence. yes, lincoln, the great emancipator! why did the american revolution succeed? it succeeded because at the moment of its birth, it brought together the right ideas, the right institutions, and the right kinds of people to lead them. what kind of men and women did this revolution produce? well, there was no campaign to brutally silence dissent. there was no assault on the christian churches or the teachings of the bible. there was no deity. there was not a robes pierre among them. there are men on horseback was not a napoleon, he was a washington. a washington. the man who resigned his military commission to an elected assembly. he resigned it obediently, willingly, for the sake of the republic. what kind of men and women did this rep -- listen to the words of abigail adams, wife of john adams, writing to her son john quincy

during the war. abigail was trying to persuade kherson across the atlantic to join his father in prince -- john quincy does not want to go. he would rather go to college. his mother has a different sense of his obligations. here's a piece of what she wrote him. these are the times in which a genius would wish to lift. it is not in the still calm of life that great characters are formed. the habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties, she says! contending with difficulties! great necessities call out great virtues! and formed the character of the hero and the statesman. now, i put the question to you, ladies and gentlemen, if you got a letter like that from your mother, what would you do? you would get on the boat! you know you would. you get on that boat. the character of the hero and the statesman is forged in the fires of a great contest. a great difficulty in the crucible of war.

and war has come upon them. with a firm reliant on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. ladies and gentlemen, the greatest political revolution for human freedom in the history of the world! it has begun. well, thanks for listening to that. let me introduce our all-star panel. someday, i will get to be an all-star panel. let me invite the panel to join us now. i just get to moderate them. joining us now online, i will introduce them briefly. you have the full biographies available. and here we go. everyone is online. william mattox, director of the stanley martial center for -- the james madison institute. he works with policymakers, educators, parents to promote reforms to make it possible for all k-12 students to obtain a high quality education. i love that idea! charlotte mcguire, vice

president for the ohio state board of education. she and her husband arthur launched the program that helps parents there -- and attendance. if that is not doing the lords work, i don't know what it is! and darryle owens, graduate from growth city, worked for 15 years and health care industry. he and his wife are parents too -- based in minneapolis. welcome all to this table! i have a few questions here coming in. let me just throw it open to darryle owens first, but anyone can open this question. for darryle owens, what brought you to the point? this is a question i always like to ask people who get involved in great causes like this. what brought you to the point that you decided to speak with the heads of the school where your children attend?

and what was the response then from those officials? what dragged you into this discussion, if you could? >> sure. we moved our kids from one school to a catholic school at the beginning of the school year. that would've been august of 2020. we are grateful that they are in school all day every day, albeit with masks and all that stuff, but they are there. we moved them because we started to be concerned about things that were being taught and not being taught at the prior institution. but i have to say, with respect to how history was or was not being taught, don and i really felt like we could deal with that. we could supplement and correct

certain information at home. and we were doing that. .i think we were pretty successful. however, when the issues of race and critical race theory started to creep in, to kind of the everyday discussions in the classroom, into chapel, things like that, we decided, the writing is on the wall. we will move our kids to different schools. it was the right move for us. however, i was also encouraged over and over again to not assume that all is well when your child is in the classroom. and all is well with the curriculum at your children schools. so, i have to say, i was under that assumption.

i then decided one day, probably after reading something or listening to a lecture or something like that, to reach out to the heads of the school to say, hey, how are you handling all of this information and all the push to integrate the 16 19 project et cetera? and i got two different answers. one, from one had of school, thank you for your call. it's the best collect on all day. thank you so much. don't worry about it. as long as i'm head of school, that will never happen here. the other one was very interested in getting information and very willing to consider all points of view and perspectives. so, that gave me cause for concern and i have maintain contact with that particular head of school. i do get information from time to time.

but it is our concern because our children are -- they need to know who they are beyond the color of their skin. >> yes, thank you for that, darryle owens. charlotte mcguire, a similar question. you are a vice president at the ohio state board of education. talking to this audience we have who is tuned in, the parents especially, what have you learned that is really encouraged to you about the challenges that are out there in your own role and in your capacity to make a difference? >> i just got off a school board meeting on tuesday. -- we made an appeal that everyone on our 19 member board need to learn for themselves what critical race theory is about. i have been receiving letters from parents all over the state of ohio. they are concerned about what their children are being taught.

some of their local boards are engaging. some are not. so, the question becomes, parents hold us accountable. hold your local school board accountable. we are a local control state. a lot of education determination happens in the local district. but we are the resource and the setup -- so, for example, 16 19 project showed up on our website. the perception is that we support this. we were clueless about it. we don't even know how i got on the website. so, that began to make us as policy makers go to the school board to find out why. the reason i care is because ideals have consequences. inconsistent ideals meet and consistent people and the parent is the first foundational support for

education. and parents, i have 44 districts in my territory, the size -- i find out a lot of them are clueless until it is too late. >> wow. charlotte, i will come back to you and unpack that a little bit. i will give bill a chance here. we are pretty good, i think, in our crowd, about identifying what the threats are, the problems out there, the 1619 project, critical race theory, et cetera. what else is needed in terms of the response of concerned parents, who really want an accurate portrayal of our history? something that does not divide us? what more do we need here, phil? >> i think you are right. it is obvious we need to be pushing back against destructive narratives that distort the past and are contributing to our cultural divisions today.

but i don't think that a critique alone is enough. i really do believe that we need to be offering, in many ways, a counter narrative, a true narrative, one that in my mind embraces the idea of constructive patriotism. and in that, i think you can see -- oftentimes, those that are advancing the narratives that are ascendant today and causing so much trouble and division, they often like to portray the debate as, we are here to give you an honest you have -- history, as opposed to a sugar coated view that you would get from the other side or traditionally. i think that what we need to do is not fall into the trap of letting them characterize our point of view in those ways. and offering examples from history of people who had often blistering critiques, but

presented those in the context of embracing our founding principles and overarching values and ideals is important. and in my mind, to the best examples of this are frederick douglass and martin luther king junior. if you look at frederick douglass fourth of july speech, it is a blistering critique of slavery. but it is also a surprisingly strong and compelling defense of our nations ideals and basically an exhortation to his audience to say, hey, we all embrace these ideals. let's do a better job of living up to them. you can see the same thing with martin luther king and his i have a dream speech, where he speaks to the declaration as a promissory note that needs to be redeemed. in case are they attacking our foundations or suggesting that

america is irredeemable, but simply that we have work to do and as a lovers of this country, we need to get about that work to live up to the ideals that we all share. and that sort of constructive view of patriotism, rather than one that is critical and seeks to tear down and divide, is i think a narrative that america to embrace. i think it is honestly untrue and it gives a complete picture to our children of how they should see this country. >> thank you for that, bill. that is terrific. i should say, i'll be risk of shameless health promotion, at the heritage foundation, we all try to produce this kind of material. -- i want to take it back to charlotte darryle owens again. take this question wherever you. like i have to imagine you being on the ohio state board

of education, you have colleagues who don't agree with you, who don't agree with your positions and maybe are a little astounded that you're taking the positions that you are taking. i am just kind of curious to know how you interact with them and where you have been able to make some progress and headway? what kind of arguments and discussions maybe make the lights go on, the scale go from the eyes? >> first of all, i speak with truth and love. and one of the things i demand of all my colleagues on the board is that you know for yourself. i always tell my children, there are three sides to the story, your side, my side, and the truth. and we need to ascertain what is the truth in this case. parents need a simple message. even in critical race theory, one of the tenants's knowledge is socially constructed. that is not true. so, they want to put away science and reason. but you want to use science for

masking the children, but you don't want to use science when it comes to educating the children. so, my concern is that we need a simple message that every parent can embrace, every parent can -- they need to hold their local school boards accountable. they need to be educated and i don't know how you do that in a couple of pages, guys, but we need a message to push back. i am willing to risk all. there are people there -- the legal term is self enrichment. but if you are truly there for your students, if you are truly there for the future of your state or the future of this country, you need to do what is right at any cost. >> yes. you know, charlotte, it's making me think, when you decide, maybe we need a little bit more collaboration with you in crafting that kind of response, based on your own

experience of what is effective. kind of crafting that two or three paged document. that is maybe something to think about down the road here. >> [inaudible] that is so important. our state associations of president of the school board -- he was a victim of cancel culture. he had just been elected to the president of the ohio school board association. but he wanted to do the right thing. he's part of a team i'm working with you get information into the hands of parents. they are the taxpayers. they are the frontline defense for their children! but they need to know what is going on. words have consequences. >> as a matter of fact, we just considered a resolution related to the overall arching preamble but said public schools are foundational to democracy. i saw three red flags

immediately. because part of the critical race theory is that either democracy -- but it's not about the republic. we are a republic. government for, of, and by the people and the people are the parents. >> yes! does an excellent point, charlotte. i don't think we emphasize it enough that the actual power that people have, that ordinary parents have in their hands. it reminds me of that moment in poland, when john paul the second visited poland, a catholic pope visiting a catholic communist country and they are turning out by the millions to see him, hear him speak. and one of the people in the crowd later said, we the people, we have the power! we have the power! we are the majority and they are the minority! . i wonder if we need that kind of awakening somehow about the

power we have. go ahead. >> doctor, one of the words we need to be very careful of is -- it is part of what i call cultural critical race theory framework. -- versus a quality. >> yeah. i think we will come back to that point before we're done. over to you darryle, you are a parent, you have kids in school. one of the questions i'm sure many parents are wondering is how do you talk to your children about this? and not confusing, them but helping them understand what is coming in. what is to be trusted, what can't be trusted? it needs to be a difficult negotiation. can you talk about that? we are very honest with them. my mother was very honest with me when i was growing up about race and about anything she

could think of. many other issues to. sometimes, too honest, i would say. but i appreciate that now being an adult and a father of two children. we are very honest with them. we emphasize with them that everyone doesn't think the way we do. in fact, we -- most people don't. at least not that we encounter. to miss mcguire's point, encouraging them to speak their truth and love, say their opinion in a respectful way -- we encourage them to do that. we also say if you have questions about what somebody says at school, what a teacher says at school, please ask us and we ask them. so, we are probably probing parents. we are constantly asking them what did you learn in school today? oh, well, what did joey say about such and such? what did they say about the protests that are happening? so, we talk to them about what

the current issues are and we really do not sugarcoat anything. both of them are mature. in that way. they can't handle it. they don't get it, they will ask us. and if they don't want to hear anymore, they tell us, yeah, i got it. >> [laughs] >> i would say honesty has been our friend. >> that is a terrific strategy, it seems to me, honesty. bill, back to you. the james madison institute -- you have developed some supplemental civic education programs. do you want to tell us a little bit about that. i think it will be of interest to many people in our audience. i don't want to miss that. go ahead. >> we do a supplemental curriculum that we released every september called celebrate freedom that goes out during celebrate freedom week. -- giving students kind of an

understanding of that. and throughout the year, we do a number of other programs and activities, often in conjunction with other institutions and programs like boys and girls -- providing speakers and alike. one of my favorite things that we do as a national organization is a field trip that we do a student every year, where we take them to go and see a naturalization ceremony, to interact with some of the new citizens. and before they go, we have them take the quiz that is required of those who want to become naturalized citizens. we get to see what the questions are and whether or not they would be able to answer them. almost without fail, whenever you do this, the students come away with a profound respect for these individuals, who have cared enough about becoming americans to go through the process, to do it legally, to answer the questions and all the rest. in some ways, many of them kind of recognize their own, i guess,

ingratitude may be the right word. how many things that we kind of take for granted and don't even pause to reflect on, how blessed we are as americans, enjoying the privileges that we do as citizens of this country. one of the things that, going forward, we are planning to do that i think will be really interesting, is to ask students whether they think there ought to be some sort of right of passage like you see in religious groups sometimes, the confirmation process or the bar mitzvah process, we are people who are born into a community are expected to embrace the ideas and values of that community in some way. i am not advocating for that, when it comes to u.s. citizenship, but there is a sense in which i think a lot of young people never really stop, pause, reflect, and in some way,

go about the process of embracing what it distinctly means to be american and the ideals that are represented by our country. >> yes. thank you for that. that is terrific. i want to get more on resources that are out there, but charlotte, back to you there for a minute. it seems to many of us that the radical stuff that has been going on at the college level. you see berkeley. [laughs] back in the 60s and early 70s, they were saying western sieve has got to go. this teaching western civilization, american history, it has become so problematic that the college level. but now we are seeing this kind of radicalization for the first time in public education. and i guess i want to give you another opportunity to talk a little bit more about what our parents need to be aware of, the warning signs, things to really be careful of. and then strategically what

they can do. just unpack it a little bit more for us. >> i think -- is doing the right thing. the thing parents need to do is active listening. they need to listen to understand and validate what is going on in the school. you need to -- i tell my daughter, keep your children talking. that will be an indication. if you don't know what maybe going on, especially words like equity or democracy or intersectionality -- you know, there are kippahs words that parents listened for. we had a woman at the board meeting this past tuesday, she gave such a compelling story. her daughter was referred them -- to a gender clinic without her knowledge. and what happens -- we need to be careful even in

the current administration's desire to keep activism -- what we are siena college campuses is not happening -- as a matter of fact, you know, there are students in some districts in ohio -- pick a topic you stand for. right to your senator. we have had walkouts. and in some cases, the parents don't know about it. when the schools are teaching -- contradicts with your family values -- >> that's terrific. we have a question here kind of on this point. what steps do you recommend taking to find out if critical race theory and the 1619 project have been adopted? what steps do you recommend taking if they have become part of the school curricula? i will throw it to anybody. >> i tell my parents, first of

all, bridge the gap between the home and school. know your children's teacher. i call them parents of purpose. ask questions. if nothing else, ask the school principal. every school has a curriculum director. what is being taught? you know, you need to ask questions in such a way that you get them talking, so to speak. [laughs] keep notes. and then, i also encourage them to talk to the superintendent. and then i asked them to share it with other parents. they need to have dialogue in their communities because parents need to be educated. they need to be activated and mobilized to grow to their elected, local school boards and keep them accountable. >> let's pick up that point on working together, maybe with other parents. because i can imagine if your parent out there, you sometimes think, i'm in this thing on my own.

who feels the same way? when in fact, they may well be part of a silent majority. what has been your experience there in working with other parents? >> i would say that many parents are afraid. they don't want to speak up. they don't want to cause controversy. not because necessarily it will reflect on them, but because of the effect it could possibly have on their children. and how their children may be treated by others or other people's fans or whatever. i volunteer a lot of my son's school. and at my daughter school as well. parents are locked out because of covid and there are no opportunities to volunteer their, how my daughter school. but at my son's school, i volunteer. i serve lunch sometimes. i get to talk to some parents there. engaging them on a very personal, practical level has been the best for me.

i am not calling parents and saying, hey, i call the head of school and i told him such and such. no. i want to rub shoulders with them, rub elbows, in a setting where -- [inaudible] >> that seems crucial. [inaudible] >> i think being present in school as much as you possibly can, especially in these times, it's so important because those conversations -- you will hear what is coming up. and you can deal with it. >> communicating your investment in the school for the sake of york and the kids around them. >> i don't have children. but i can easily imagine how it would be an anxious thing for a parent to approach a high school teacher or administrator. the fear would be, now, my

student will be marked out as the child as the troublemaker. and maybe there is a different attitude towards the child. just unconsciously. you can imagine that anxiety and you're nodding over there, darryle. >> i do have a parent and colleague at my daughter's school, where that has happened to her. her daughter is the daughter of the troublemaker. it is what it is. you do it anyway because it is the right thing to do. you do need to be careful, though, i would say. again, you need to be respectful, speak the truth and love. this is not criticism and getting your own way. this is for the sake of having our children grow up to be who god created them to be. it is not about -- [inaudible] it is about our belief. it is about what is right. >> yes.

thank you for that. and back over to bill and then charlotte. on this point, unpacking it a bit more, the challenges that these parents face, what would you also recommend? i think they are probably people very hungry for resources. anybody can weigh in on this. the resources that we need to push back against the madness. the way you oppose bad books is with good books. bright? thinking -- in your travels and in your work, what else would you maybe put on the table? we can bring that later on and make it available to this audience on our website. what would you put on the table? >> one of the things that i would do just to underscore this about peeking me truth and love. not to assume the worst about things that they will be interacting with -- one of the things that i found and going to a lot of teacher conferences and sharing with them the resources that we have available is that many of the

people who are teaching in the social studies department are sympathetic to the concerns that we have and want to do a faithful job of presenting our history and civics in an accurate way. ïve but also dondon't assume th. yes, there are problems. don't be naive. but also, don't assume the worst about people. you might find, if you go about things in a respectful manner, you have allies with on the system among the faculty and whatnot, who can help advance these concerns, if you express them in an appropriate manner. that would be one thing that i would offer that underscored some of the points earlier. >> excellent. charlotte, you look like you are getting ready to weigh in there. let me give you a chance. go ahead. >> well, bill is correct. relationships matter and relationships -- i always tell my district i am seeing the culture of fear even

among teachers who are caring and sympathetic to the parents. -- especially if it goes against the administration. build good relationships. bridge the gap between the home and the school. remember, parents, you are the leader. you are the leader. i don't care what they say. some schools make it very difficult. they're customer service relations leaves a lot to be desired. as a matter of fact, some parents are even intimidated to even engage with the schools. even superintendents -- parents, we value partnership as a priority for learning. and the key partner is the parent. and we need parents to decide -- then, you become suspect about what you are doing inside that building. >> yes, yes.

and i will have darryle pick it up again. the question in a queue which relates to this, since parents have more to lose and these types of discussions, older people in the community need to help out. they are taxpayers to. have you seen this type of activity? i guess what they're talking about as people whose kids are grown, but they are still invested in the community. can we bring them on board in these efforts to challenge what is happening in the schools, that is pretty rotten? anybody have thoughts and stories about that? >> i am absolutely because i am a grandmother. so, i talk to all grandmothers. you know, it is not about your children. it is about the next generation. it is about your community. it is about your state. and our strategic plan is each child -- [inaudible] we want to be sure that we are a quid children with the knowledge and skills for their aspirations, that they are challenged and prepared for

future success. so, not only do grandparents -- you need to talk to business leaders that have children. you need to talk -- owe, and definitely, i am going to churches. [inaudible] you need to have a dialogue with the sunday school or whatever. summer camps. the key is the community is responsible and all of us are responsible for the future of our global community and our local state. so, yes, everybody should be engaged. the key is getting everybody the understanding of being on the same page. and, i tell everybody, keep the bottom line the students. don't bring your personal perspective in. don't bring the politics in. is this good for our children? >> yes. terrific, charlotte! i want to get darryle it chance

to jump in here. you are too young to be a grandmother! [inaudible] darryle, on this point, this networking with people in the community and just a little bit more on your end of what you are seeing there? >> first of all, my first thought is, it has been difficult during covid to network with anybody. [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] i volunteer four things where there is no volunteer spot. >> [laughs] >> my son is like, oh my gosh, that, why are you always hear? so, i think, again, in that way,

i have been able to interact with teachers. it is a catholic school, limited resources -- [inaudible] it is easy to get into a conversation and see where their head is at. and by doing that, you kind of understand where that particular department is at. [inaudible] i have not yet, though i think it is a great idea, try getting grandparents involved. i wonder what my dad would do if he was involved. i don't know. i would need to leave. >> [laughs] >> people of all ages have been asking these questions around curriculum content and what is

caught in the classroom. they also need to be fighting for school children. it is one of the things that we have seen in florida that has empowered parents who are finding their local -- and address on some of these things. it is that parents can lead. when they can take students to another school, it usually means that schools become more responsive to them. i have seen this from our own experience. we looked -- and virginia had far less school choice, a more captive audience, if you will. i think our local schools were far less responsive to parents than the public schools that we found here in florida. obviously, we care about what everyone is being taught in the classroom and need to be focused on this fight surrounding civics education and u.s. history. we also need to be working at

the same time to advance a broad array of options so that parents have somewhere to go if they are not satisfied with what the local public schools are teaching. >> excellent point. our time is wrapping up here. but i want to give charlotte darryle a chance -- [inaudible] -- darryle, take it. and we'll wrap up with charlotte. >> for me, something that is helpful is that i have learned that there are other parents out there that have felt the way i do. there are resources out there for parents. and i can provide the ones that i know of as well. there are resources out there. i agree that. arming ourselves with knowledge is the first step.

i can't imagine two years ago having a conversation with any school administrate to her about critical race theory. i would've had no idea what i'm talking about and i would have thought, that doesn't sound right to me, but i can't really articulate why. so, i think what makes me hopeful is that i honestly feel like there is a growing tide of opposition to it. at least, making itself known. >> excellent. charlotte? >> the last word is, hope is the expectation of -- and i expect good to come out of this because we have -- [inaudible] it means in this case, and this is an inspiration -- i have been sharing this everywhere i go. with -- overcomes known evil.

what you don't know can destroy you or cause you to perish. so, we are having woke citizen parents -- they are getting educated from everywhere. and they will be -- because they will know the evil and how to confront it. >> wow. i can't improve on that. charlotte, thank you so much for that. thank you for this all-star panel. and the great investment of time. thank you for everything you have done. thank you to the audience for joining us. great to have you with us. if you have more questions, extend them our way. >> -- and -- she talks about how they helped the u.s. investigate -- here is a portion of that program. >> -- it is marine insurance a business under united states law? if so, why?

if not, why not? it sounds like a question i just design for my undergrads. this is a particular puzzle because -- [inaudible] in the age of revolution, insurance is a kind of self government's even though it is sort of an imperfect one that is threaded through many institutions and the state itself. it is helping to make the state -- which it still can govern because insurance is so -- >> watch the full program online at c-span.org slash history, by searching hannah farber, or the name of her book, underwriters of the united states. is dianai amm -- tonight's presenter is die -- who lecture. ms. gate