American History as it has been taught for hundreds of years has mostly ignored one important part: Black history. But not all educators ignored the true history of Blacks in America. 

Adelaide Sanford is a legend in the field of education. She’s been a teacher, a principal and an activist for more than half a century, and to call her a trailblazer would be a massive understatement. 

Sanford is also the inspiration behind the Adelaide Sanford Institute which helps create equitable education for students of color, especially African American students, in New York City. 

The 95-year old joined In Focus to talk about her career, and her insistence on teaching, not only Black History, but Critical Race Theory long before that even had a name. 

In a no-holds-barred conversation, Sanford talked about why teaching the truth about the building of America benefits everyone, not just African Americans. 

She takes New York City schools to task for their actions in the past in communities of color, where, she says, “as long as the kids weren’t running up and down the halls, no one was bothered."

She says they’re bothered now, because they see what happens when, “the unempowered have access to power." 

She also addresses schools and government officials who say they don’t want to “guilt” white students by blaming their race for what happened in the past, no matter how true that history is.  Sanford says, “being oppressed it worse” than feeling guilty.