Thread by @michaelharriot

Ok, let’s not call it Critical Race Theory. We won’t even call it “Black History.” Instead, let’s accept the premise they propose.

So, how does American history look if K-12 social studies & history teachers don’t teach kids about racism white supremacy.

A thread.

In 1607, 104 Englishmen arrive in North America and almost starve to death.

Why did they come here?

Umm… We can’t let kids read the Jamestown Charter because they might see the ACTUAL WORDS describing the natives who already had a government & religion here as people who:

In 1619, some more people arrived. They weren’t quite indentured servants and they weren’t free.

What was the difference?

Well... If I showed you the ACTUAL LAWS, you might start to believe that America started out as a racist country. So let’s move on.

In 1776, America declared its Independence from Britain. Then there was a Revolutionary war. Then created a constitutional oligarchy that allowed 25% of the population to vote.

But we’re going to call it a “Democracy” because words don’t mean things

We cannot discuss the legislative branch or Article I of Constitution because we would have to talk about race.

We cannot discuss Article 2 because we would have to talk about the electoral college, which means we’d have to talk about race.

We cannot talk about Article 4.

We cannot talk about America’s Founding document because we cannot talk about race

America is not a racist country.

We can talk about the Founding Fathers but not the children some fathered. We can talk about what they did but we can’t talk about how they earned money. We can’t talk about the US economy or how entire portions of the country became so wealthy.

We can’t talk about why entire nations of Natives moved across the country. We can’t talk about most of the treaties signed by the government. We can’t talk about 17% of the legislation. We can’t talk about economics. We can’t talk about geography or expansion

In 1861, 11 states in the richest country in the world decided they would rather form their own country. No one knows why. I could say “it was about States Rights” but someone might reply:

“The right to do what?”

So we cannot talk about the bloodiest war in American history.

But after that war, on December 6, 1865, the US ratified the 13th Amendment. We can’t say what it did, but we can say that the US population exploded by 4 million people who were already living in the country and working here for the ABSOLUTE minimum wage.

Then came the period called Reconstruction. We can’t say what we were reconstructing from. All I can say is there was a lot of terrorism and secret fraternities that changed the political, social and economic structure of America but I can’t say why.

Then came WWI. Then came the Great Depression, when the American economy collapsed.

The country fixed it with the New Deal, the greatest social program in American history. It created what we now call the “middle class”…

But only for some people (I can’t say who)

Then came World War II. A lot of people joined the Army. Some joined to fight for freedom, others joined for financial stability offered by the GI Bill. Some of the war veterans did not get the freedom or the financial stability (I can’t say who)

America is not a racist county.

Then came the Civil Rights movement. Martin Luther King said something about little girls and little boys. Some people did not like him (I can’t say who)

If we don’t talk about race, not only can’t we understand American history, but if we don’t understand the complex problem of race in America, one can only surmise that CURRENT disparities exist because some people are lazier, dumber and more violent than others (I can’t say who)

This version will also mean people will THINK they know history because they got good grades in Social Studies, but they will have no idea that they’re really ignorant to the truth.

And here’s the crazy part:

THIS IS ACTUALLY HOW HISTORY IS CURRENTLY TAUGHT!

Social studies is the only subject in the American education system that damn near EVERYONE is taught wrong.

When you took advanced math in college, you didn’t learn that 2+2=8 .

Your English professor didn’t have to explain that question marks didn’t exist

But I’m America, you have to actually UNLEARN LIES to understand history.

And if you think you weren’t lied to, ask yourself this:

Why do you know Christopher Columbus’ name?

Seriously. Forget about whether he was good or bad. Why does every child in America know his name?

Because they told us a LIE that he discovered America. We know it’s objectively false but kids STILL KNOW HIS NAME.

But that’s not what we’re doing right now. I’m accepting your premise. So let’s say CRT actually taught that ALL white people are privileged & America is racist

Now think about the extermination of the indigenous people.
Or the violent theft of their land
Or Black peoples labor
Or Reconstruction
Or Red Summer
Or the Civil Rights movement
Or all the economic disparities, social inequality and political barriers that still exist…

If you use legislation to create a system that protects ALL white kids from simply having to LEARN the history that Black and indigenous people actually endured…

Then aren’t you PROVING that CRT was correct this whole time?