Read on Twitter
Let's say I'm a racist teacher. During the entire semester I treat my white students better than my black students. I make black students sit in the back of the lecture hall and don't use a microphone so it's really hard to hear my lectures. https://twitter.com/AlsoACarpenter/status/1341405816369405955
I give them a different syllabus that doesn't show the correct readings or assignments. I never call on them when they raise their hands to ask a question.
I deduct points on their school work whether they get the right answer or not. I allow white students to come to a review session before exams but not black students.
1 week before the end of the semester I attend @tombuck's church and my heart is convicted that I've been sinning. I decide right then and there that my partiality is a sin and I will no longer do it.
I come in to class the next week and say anybody can sit wherever they want. I hand out the correct syllabus to the black students.
Some of the black students come to me after class, thankful for the change of heart but ask how I am going to make up for the entire semester. "What do you mean?" I ask.
They say that they've been treated unfairly the entire semester and that I should make up for that. I tell them about my experience at church and say I can't really do anything now.
"Changing grades on past assignments would be showing partiality towards you if I didn't also change past grades for white students. And I can't do that. I gave you the correct syllabus. I'm letting you sit wherever you want in class. I'm being impartial now."
The students decide to go my department head, Dr. Buck (no relation to the pastor), and see if anything can be done. "I'm very sorry about his past behavior but he's made things right. There is now a fair, consistent set of colorblind rules that apply to everybody," Dr. Buck.
"But last week we didn't even have the correct syllabus and the semester is over in 3 days!" the students replied. "Not sure what to tell you ... you can't fix past partiality with present partiality. If you just put in some hard work for these next 3 days you should be fine."
