According to a poll conducted by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, most Virginians agree that public K-12 schools should teach the history of race, but fewer say it should be required in colleges and universities.
Results of the poll
- The poll found that 75% of respondents supported such a curriculum for K-12.
- The poll showed that the remaining 15% disagreed.
- Less than half of Virginians, or 49%, said those lessons should be required in postsecondary education in Virginia but not in K-12 grades.
VCU students sought to make racial literacy general education a graduation requirement, but the University’s Board of Visitors denied it. However, VCU still offers racial literacy classes to its students even though it is not a graduation requirement as the students had hoped.
Following the news release of the poll data, VCU criticized the Wilder School for errors that were identified.