Race Matters Episode 22: “Politics of DEI”
Since George Floyd’s murder by cops on May 25th, 2020, groups have form to take on the injustices of structural racism. “As there is social progress,” Eddie Carson begins, “there will be a step forward and two steps back”. From movements that helped bring awareness to racism in America, also, came along groups who wanted to silence those voices to keep a white heteronormative perspective.
Two years after, parent groups and organizations attack positive measures that have been put in place our in schools “to inform and educate students about the importance of being in space around folks who look different”. The ideas of sharing experiences and of embracing diverse stories in the classroom has been argued by these groups as harmful to students. State legislators that have banned books or even the use of terminology the focus on slavery, gay pride and sexism.
In conclusion, one of these groups recently invited Eddie to join their meeting on October 25th at the Elks Club. The republican based facebook group “Citizens for Responsible Education” held a meeting regarding their fear of “content that is being exposed to our children is indeed pornographic and explicit…. The group also claims to be working to remove expensive social engineering programs from school curriculum and is dedicated to opposing the instruction of what it calls “divisive concepts” such as, among other things; teaching one race or sex is inherently superior to another; that an individual by virtue of his/her race sex bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex; and that the United States is fundamentally racist or sexist.” (Jim Sullivan).
(Jim Sullivan of the Newburyport News; the article “Education forum gets heated Thursday night”; https://www.newburyportnews.com/news/local_news/education-forum-gets-heated-thursday-night/article_acd6b5c4-4f0f-11ed-a486-c7e001d6abe7.html)
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