This History of Education Society Presidential Address comes at the society's sixtieth anniversary and provides a new conceptual framework that foregrounds recognizing a “racist-blind,” and not a color-blind, ideology in the intentional and unequal design our educational past and present. It highlights systemic racism brought on by the dual pandemic moments of COVID-19 and global racial unrest, with a call to action for educational historians to lead in promoting systemic, institutional changes.

Before we expound on our brief “farewell” essay, we wish to extend our deepest gratitude to those colleagues who contributed as authors, reviewers, associate editors, and editorial board members in sustaining the high quality of scholarship in the history of education. You have been indispensable in this process. I hope you realize the extent to which your role as reviewers serves as a means of mentoring, in contributing to the development of a community of scholars through your topical expertise. The majority of authors, junior and senior faculty alike, shared how appreciative they were of the thoughtful and lengthy feedback offered by the reviewers. They did not view the critiques in a punitive way but rather as a place for creating dialogue. This spirit of collegiality is what also helps our field to thrive.