Illinois state Representative LaShawn Ford is calling for the schools across the state to stop teaching history because, as he put it, “current school history teaching leads to white privilege and a racist society.”

But Ford doesn’t want to stop teaching students history forever, only until a new curriculum is developed that doesn’t overlook “the contributions by Women and members of the Black, Jewish, LGBTQ communities and other groups.”

And while this new history curriculum is being developed, Rep. Ford suggests that schools should “devote greater attention toward civics and ensuring students understand our democratic processes.”

Of course, school districts across the country, including in Illinois, have already re-written history curricula to highlight the things he is asking for, but have done so at the expense of providing an adequate understanding of civics, American history, or our responsibility as citizens.

History can be taught without being whitewashed and without being revised. Students need to know the past, or they will be condemned to repeat it.