Tumwater School Board pushes propaganda on race
May 21, 2018, 7:01 AM | Updated: 7:20 am
(AP Photo/Matt York)
The Tumwater School District Board of Directors will vote on an “Equity, Diversion and Inclusion” policy because every “student deserves respectful learning environments in which diversity is valued and contributes to successful academic outcomes.” In order to achieve that, they aim to teach that only white children can be racist and racism, in every form, is the fault of white people.
Like many districts, Tumwater has seen white students excel, while communities of color are disproportionately disciplined and experience higher dropout rates. The policy blames “complex societal and historical factors” and they’d like to address them with “equity tools, procedures, and strategies to eliminate systemic disparities and ensure systemic equity for students, staff, and families.”
Part of those equity tools will be to propagandize vulnerable students with radical re-definitions of common language, to satisfy their Progressive bona fides.
For example, under this draft policy, administrators will explain that “race” is a “political construction created to concentrate power with white people and legitimize dominance over non-white people.”
This is, for lack of a better term, a stupid definition. Yes, I could get into the nuances of what they’re trying to say and why, but that would be a waste of time. There are the people who believe the nonsense Tumwater is pushing, and the rest of us who realize that the only political construction here are the administrators who want to create an army of social justice warrior.
Their definition of racism isn’t nearly as shocking but shares the designation of being, well, stupid. It aims to excuse hateful, bigoted actions when the perpetrators aren’t white.
They claim racism is: “A complex system of beliefs and behaviors, grounded in a presumed superiority of the white race. These beliefs and behaviors are conscious and unconscious; personal and institutional; and result in the oppression of people of color and benefit the dominant group, whites. A simpler definition is racial prejudice + power = racism.”
So, in other words, only white kids can be racist because all white people have power. Except, of course, not all white people have power. Indeed, low-income communities, regardless of race (though I’m not sure we can say that anymore because race is a political designation or something), disproportionately represents students who are disciplined or drop out.
What is the goal here? It’s more nefarious than providing equity, something we should all strive for if that outcome isn’t being met. This is about propagandizing students at their most vulnerable. Parents trust these educators will teach them the skills necessary to be both productive members of society and well-educated. But these administrators are exploiting this trust and, instead, pushing their ideology on them. If you’re a parent or student in the Tumwater district, please take this survey and reject this extremist policy.