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HISTORY
How Racism Blocks Students From Learning History of King Cake
Many enjoy a slice without understanding its origins
The purple, green, and gold sprinkled king cake has become an iconic symbol of the Mardi Gras season. From Twelfth Night to Fat Tuesday, the delicacy is easy to find in Louisiana bakeries. There’s a tradition in New Orleans classrooms where the homeroom teacher brings a kingcake on the first Friday of the season. Whoever finds a tiny plastic baby hidden in their portion will be tasked with bringing one the following week. Despite participating in the tradition, students are not typically taught the history of the king cake because doing so would spark a discussion of racism. That explains why the narrative is seldom discussed even before Louisiana passed a critical race theory ban.
In a scholarly article published nearly two years ago, Sarah Dolezal questioned whether K-12 students should learn the history of the king cake, particularly “its connections to white supremacy.” Those who oppose discussions about racism in the classroom often suggest that these lessons only serve to “heighten racial divisions.” However, Professor Antony Farag (2021) suggested that when applied thoughtfully, critical race theory can “be a unifying force, providing opportunities for students of every race and…