As I began writing this column, on his WAMU show 1A, Joshua Johnson and his guests were discussing how we teach about slavery. The discussion was yet another reminder of how much work still needs to be done in addressing American racism. Some of that can happen, as Johnson's show suggested, through better – more accurate, fuller, and more empathetic – understanding of history. There are many ways we can accomplish this, and what happens in history classrooms represents only one (although a critically important one). Another is to visit historic sites. Last fall, as part of the Board of Trustees retreat, during which diversity was one of our topics, we visited the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, MD.
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