My 2-year-old is beginning to ask all kinds of questions. And I’ve begun to wonder what I will share with him about his family’s heritage.

As I’ve considered this, I’ve realized how little I know about my family’s story. I grew up with the implicit knowledge that I’m “white.” But “white” is not an ethnic group. Ta-Nehisi Coates observes that I am from “people who believe themselves to be white.” This phrase uncovers the truth that “white” is an idea created by people in power to maintain dominance. Thus who qualifies as “white” is continually shifting.  

As I cut through the facade of generic “whiteness” to learn about my history, I discovered that my ancestors arrived on this continent in 1690 and founded Ruckersville, Virginia. I also found evidence that we “owned” enslaved African people.

A few years ago the Iowa Legislature passed a bill restricting public schools from teaching concepts that might make students “feel discomfort (or) guilt on account of … race or sex.” Based on this criterion, teaching my son that his ancestors enslaved African people — and that this enslavement has economic ramifications today — would be illegal in his classroom.