The below tweet ruffled a lot of feathers last night. It also provoked some solid discourse. I view both as good things.
I wanted to add a few comments, as I find myself repeating the same points over and over. Maybe this can lead to a second more-focused round of discussion.
First, if you received that tweet to mean I was implying the James Lindsays of the world are more in depth scholars of CRT than its studied proponents, you missed the point entirely. That tweet had nothing to do with scholars of any kind; hence, "mass scale".
I fleshed out what I meant in the immediate response below. Your typical soccer mom in Loudoun County who publically throws their support behind CRT, doesnt even have a surface-level understanding of what they're claiming to support.
"Only a racist would be against Anti-Racism!"
Second, and this is the common wall most of this discourse runs into, I am focused on real life instances of methods in application. That's the stimulus millions of Americans are responding to. Parents arent showing up to school board meetings to debate academic theory. Nor am I.
The statement was made by a voice I greatly respect that she is upset about the fact CRT as a whole is being painted in such a negative light. There is validity/benefit to the theory to her, positive ways it can be used, and it's now being smeared unfairly. I respect that view.
But I strongly submit that such angst should be directed at the modern 'practitioners' who have so bastardized her beloved theory in their imposed methods. Again, it is THESE INSTANCES that started the backlash, not James Lindsay.
Case in point...
Now, so many are quick to jump on that video as unfairly sensational. But it's not unfair; it's real life. Her training program wasn't created over night, nor did it root into that company that week. How many of these presentations did she give? How many more Ashleighs are there?
This ties right back into my point re methods vs theory. The CRT camp tries to drive it back towards a discussion of theory every single time. Americans en masse, however, are responding to methods in application that are surfacing in their lives, often directly.
Yes, parents are against their elementary-aged children being taught the doctrines of unconscious bias and white fragility in their schools. Yes, parents bristle at kids broken out into privilege groups and being categorized by a skin tone chart.
The reality is this...
The Kendi-flavored dogma is the current manifestation of CRT that is being funded by jack's wealth and permeating our schools and institutions. It is these methods causing such a visceral reaction. And justifiably so!
And being against these methods does not make one racist. Those who deploy this trite tactic reveal their whole hand of cards to me. It's disingenuous and simple. I'll toy with those types because it's fun, but I've written them off as being worthwhile of substantive discourse.
Are you someone who believes in CRT? You think its being unfairly painted? Then show America a counterbalance! Not a debate re academic theory; not a command to "read the book" or "talk to the experts; no, show instances of its methods in application that paint a different image.
Because we aren't seeing them. Period. "SEEING", that's the operative word. I don't give a shit how virtuous your professor made the theory sound in a lecture hall. This presentation is now occurring in the realm of reality, not the halls of academia. And we're seeing this:
You want to convince me that CRT is not what Im actually seeing? Then show me a different image! Show me; dont tell me.
This discussion is tangible now, folks, its real life. You want to alter public perception, its going to take a tangible presentation. bbc.com/news/education…
Lastly, if you dont recognize what Im addressing re schools is "anti-racist" methods, and feel a need to bifurcate that from CRT in this discussion, youre not grasping where I am and Im not interested in your dance.
And if you think what I said above makes me a racist, fuck off.
On a mass scale, those opposed to CRT know a hell of a lot more about the doctrine (and, more importantly, its methods in application) than those who claim to support it.
Sounds illogical on its face, but I believe it's true. People like myself who are passionately against it spend a lot of time on it. Most parents in, say, Northern Virginia don't even know what they're supporting.
"Anti-racism"? Of course! Only a racist would be against that.
While they sure claim to be, these aren't serious people. If they are, they're consumed by a show.
It's like watching an orgy of moral righteousness...
I'm NOT against people getting the vax. I'm NOT calling it a conspiracy. I want everyone to conduct their own analysis/decision. I believe the public presentation (threat & vax) is being distorted.
If me pushing back on this upsets you, honestly, I'd rather you just unfollow me.
The NYT staff once infamously held a town hall meeting where they openly discussed a desired shift to coverage of racism/white supremacy in America. The goals of manufacturing this narrative were stated plainly.
In August of 2019, one of our nation's top race-hustlers, @nhannahjones, releases The 1619 Project via the NYT. It is presented as an alternative "history" of America. Critical word.
Go back and read the coverage of the project at that time. "Glowing" doesn't do it justice.
In 2020, at the height of the manufactured zombie-like fervor over race in this country, the 1619 Project is awarded a Pulitzer Prize.