Jürgen Buchenau among Charlotte history professors interviewed on proposed NC law
Jürgen Buchenau, professor of history and Latin America Studies, was quoted in WFAE’s “Charlotte history professors on proposed NC law: ‘Politicians should not prescribe course content.’”
As part of interviews conducted with five professors at Charlotte colleges, Buchenau responded to proposed new legislation in North Carolina, including a bill passed by the N.C. House that would require a U.S. history course for graduation from community colleges and universities.
In a largely party-line vote, Republican proponents argued it’s important to educate students about traditional documents such as the U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address, while Democratic opponents expressed fear the law could lead to limits on how history is taught.
This debate has been increasing nationally, as politicians across the U.S. have sought to control how parts of history are taught.
“Our universities are the envy of the world because they’re independent. There are a lot of countries where the universities are not free, including countries we study,” said Buchenau. “I just show students what happened when there was censorship and political interference…. I’m a history professor. I don’t talk so much about current events, but I talk about other times and other places and then let the students draw their own conclusions.”