I’m very progressive, feel that the US is institutionally racist — and yet I’m not quite sure what is to be achieved by removing minstrel songs that don’t express any racism in them.

In particular, what sorts of American historical songs are you going to teach young children if you have eliminated minstrel songs? In a pluralist society, teaching children spirituals is sadly but necessarily impossible — even though I’m an atheist, I do love those songs, but they cannot legally or ethically be taught to children in schools.

So what’s left?