Apparently a section that calls for students chanting to Aztec gods was not enough to dissuade the California State Board of Education from approving a sweeping new progressive curriculum.
The board last week unanimously approved what is being billed as the nation’s first statewide ethnic studies curriculum, a whopping 900-page document that aims to teach California’s public high school students about the oppression of people of color.
It tackles Black and African American, Chicano, Native American and Asian American studies.
Its approval paves the way for the legislature to draft a bill that seeks to make it mandatory in the Golden State’s public education system.
The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum had received a massive amount of criticism in the years leading up to its approval, but apparently that doesn’t matter much in a state like California.
“We are reminded daily that racism is not only a legacy of the past but a clear and present danger,” Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond reportedly said. “We must understand this history if we are finally to end it.”
The Associated Press reports:
Crafting the curriculum took three years, drawing more than 100,000 public comments as different groups objected to being left out or misrepresented. Public comment that preceded the board’s vote drew about 150 callers, many of whom asked the board to reject the curriculum and echoed the heated debate that took place throughout its drafting. The loudest criticism came from Jewish and pro-Arab groups who accused each other of trying to silence each other’s histories.
In response to its approval, the AMCHA Initiative condemned its passage. The initiative, which combats anti-Semitism, said in a news release the curriculum is politically motivated “and will likely incite hate and division among high school students.”
The group also noted that more than “100 university scholars and academics recently argued that the curriculum ‘contains numerous empirically false and politically-motivated claims about the educational benefits of ethnic studies.’”
As The College Fix has previously reported, there had also been concerns that the curriculum frames Jews in terms of “white privilege.”
Others protested the curriculum because of its emphasis on critical race theory.
The introduction and overview to the curriculum discusses critiquing oppression in history from lenses such as “patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, exploitative economic systems, ableism, ageism, anthropocentrism, xenophobia, misogyny, antisemitism, anti-blackness, anti-indigeneity, Islamophobia, and transphobia.”
By teaching that “people are divided into either oppressors or oppressed groups, based solely on their skin color,” and that “white people have all of the power and non-white people have none of the power,” critical race theory creates a “divisive classroom environment that fosters resentment and bullying between students of different races,” Lori Meyers, an educator affiliated with Educators for Excellence who had lobbied against the curriculum, told The College Fix in January.
And according to a report in the World Socialist Web Site of all places, the curriculum even excludes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and downplays his civil rights movement….
California’s progressive politics again demonstrating nation-wide leadership in matters of race, equity, justice and inclusion. With this new, outstanding, visionary program, California’s high school students will be at the forefront of America’s efforts to build an equitable society and dismantle whiteness and white power. Would that this curriculum be taught in every school in every state, and down to pre-K levels as well. Never too young to learn lessons about opposing hate and being a voice for the oppressed and marginalized.
As for omitting Martin Luther King, Jr.? Well, he attempted to play by the rules and that got nowhere. Decades after King’s efforts, systemic racism and oppression still kept Blacks down because the structures of white power and inequity were maintained. The only way out and up is through a dismantling of the present white-power system all the way to the ground.
There’s nothing quite like a bigot giving a lecture on how to burn the white race to the ground.
Thank you for articulating quite clearly the insanity now pervasive in our educational system. Of course almost every word you uttered was more racist and hateful and violent than anything you allegedly are against, but this mindset has grown roots among our decision makers. The best thing parents and grand parents can do is to get their kids out of public schools who will be turning our children into individuals uttering and believing the same nonsense as you.
I say this knowing quite well that we do certainly have a history of racism and structures of power that have oppressed people of color in the United States, but also know that such structures can equally be employed by people of all colors against all colors. A review of the history of communism (never taught in California) shows that individuals uniting to “fight oppression” and injustice are often the more violent and bloodthirsty oppressors than those they overthrew. ie. the cure is worse than the disease.
Kris, did you contact the board? Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is generally thought of as Black, not your preferred Brown. Although, in reality, his skin was brown.
What “color” are the Aztecs sacrificing children to a false god? (And, why should students be forced to chant to a god, opening themselves to the demonic?)
Are they “Reds” or “Yellows?”
It seems that race matters first and foremost to you.
Since you are the one who defines persons by race, is it not apparent to you that your view is racist?
The race that matters is the human race. Are you a Catholic Christian? If so, please see 1938 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“Their equal dignity as persons demands that we strive for fairer and more humane conditions. Excessive economic and social disparity between individuals and peoples of the one human race is a source of scandal and militates against social justice, equity, human dignity, as well as social and international peace.”
We are, all, in this together.
I must respectfully beg to differ re: MLK jr. If the Bible were a dynamic book, [parts of] his ‘letters from a Birmingham jail’ would merit consideration for inclusion.
I consider him a martyr for his beliefs. Having lived through the ’60s, his efforts, along with John Lewis and others, helped get major voting and civil rights legislation passed. Yes, we have a long way to go, but we’ve come a long way also.
mikem I believe that John Lewis’ laudable efforts in the civil right movement were all contradicted by his support of the genocide of his own people through abortion. Considering that Blacks make up only 14% of the population and have 38% of all abortions, is quite troubling wouldn’t you say. So why didn’t he fight just as hard against the slaughter of the Black innocents as equally as he did against the blatant discrimination of his own people. His votes were consistently pro-abortion. How many Blacks could he have saved by his witness to all life, especially his Black sisters/brothers, if he had only voted to save them from the violence of abortion.
i can tell that you are white. You need to decide for love not hate.
Linda Darling – Hammond, Congratulations! And Thanks!! You are now a member of the (newly created) Overlord Party, those in power, who are now empowered to define and criminalize those who are racist. By your standards, I am automatically a member of the
(newly created) despised and outcast Racist Party, based solely on my skin color, and must therefore be publicly punished in shackles. And I won’t forget the two foot square placard, inscribed with the word “Racist” to be hung around my neck, whenever I dare venture into a public plaza.
Thanks again, Linda!
Kris has the lingo down too well. It’s almost a parody of itself.
Not in my (very diverse) classroom, not on my watch.
Did you read about that young woman on spring break in Miami who was drugged, raped and died? I know who I’m telling my kids to avoid and where to avoid. Being open to diversity isn’t worth your life.
Linda, we are very, very tired of this stuff…enough is enough. End the automatic “whites are racist” comments.
So you are going to stick the racist card onto white schoolkids.
What does that make you?
The Cure-All: Voucher Schools
I see some of the excellent comments have been removed, while Kris’s incendiary comments remain. Where can I lodge a complaint?
I’m White, with multi-racial grandchildren and great grandchildren. I can’t think of a day in my life when I thought I did something racists. I admit, however, that racism is often in the eye of the beholder, or the oppressed. But, I also don’t know anyone that I can think of who espouses racists thoughts. Part of this thinking is the result of much education and public discourse back in the ’60-early ’90s when we were all taught to work toward a colorless society. We were taught to try to not look at people’s color when hiring but to their skills, background, and yes, character. It didn’t work well it turns out, but I think it was the correct idea. I spent 40 years working at fairly high levels in some of the largest corporations in America. Not one manager that I met in those many years ever thought of himself or herself as being part of white power. They may have been, but they didn’t realize it. In fact, they spent a lot of time trying to bring minorities into the workforce. Even for the most, if not all white workforce, less than one percent made it to upper management. From day one on the job, you were competing with all of your compatriates to get the next promotion which would put you in a position to get the next one. The problem, of course, is that the minority candidates were not playing on a level field because of education, past experience, etc. But still, I can tell you from my experience, not one of the people I worked with ever thought about something called white power. The stuff this curriculum will teach our kids will balkanize the country into racial groups competing with each other until they pull it apart.
” The stuff this curriculum will teach our kids will balkanize the country into racial groups competing with each other until they pull it apart.” This is what you on Left has wanted, well you are getting it. White kids taught to hate themselves, their families, their culture.
Our country was once unified with a good Judeo-Christian foundation, with all the immigrants happy to be here, discarding the “old country” for the new one, all working together, to form America, as a “melting pot” of many different peoples: “One Nation Under God.” Crazy, immature crackpots and liberal leftists were tolerated, but laughed at– their ideas were much too immature and unworkable, to be taken seriously. People like Ms. Darling-Hammond are totally incapable of educational leadership. Hopefully, these ideas will be only another silly “passing fad” in Calif. education, and will be dumped when the “dunderheads” get tired of it, or else funding runs out, and they cannot afford such “junk” for the schools any more. I bet lots of parents are going to complain about classroom time wasted on this sick project– especially, the sickening, pagan “Aztec chants.”
I can’t believe this ridiculous “Board of Education” refuses to place Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the top of their list, as an outstanding American Civil Rights leader. Well, I believe the best way to help form people into a nice group, neighborhood, city, or nation– is to guide students to maturity with good social training, from preschool. Teach them good manners and good morals— Christian morality. You need zero background in “ethnic studies.” Just teach kids to accept everyone, and make friends with everyone. You need to teach kids self-control, good manners and good morals– “Love thy neighbor”– and really mean it. No bullying tolerated. Good manners, mandatory.
You’re not wrong, Bob. America is NOT racist. This is all part of a neo-Marxist movement to delegitimize and deconstruct the *least* racist nation on Earth. Anyone who has spent even a week abroad knows this.
Even the Marxists like BLM (and they are openly Marxist) don’t believe America is racist.
Because it is not racist. This is Marxist politics.
Don’t buy into their lies. We have to reject their false presuppositions from the start. Call them out. THEY are the only racists in the room.
The word “racist” doesn’t mean anything anymore. Everyone and anything has become “racist”. If you read the “wrong” book, you are a “racist”. It’s the new “dirty” word. It doesn’t offend me. It just shows the ignorance of the accuser.
Bob and Fred, I agree. There has been a lot of crazy, crackpot, subversive “neo-Marxist” political activity seeking to delegitimize and deconstruct our Nation. Very subversive, more dangerous than many may realize. I am hoping that some of this garbage may be a fad that young radicals will eventually tire of, or get distracted into some other folly.
That’s wishful thinking. “I am hoping that some of this garbage may be a fad that young radicals will eventually tire of, or get distracted into some other folly”. Those young radicals grow up to become teachers and college professors and they produce zealots like Congresswoman New York rep OAC.
Wishful thinking, yes, Anonymous. But some just fail miserably with their shennanigans, and don’t get very far– they just get into trouble with the law. Sadly, it’s the sick, misguided, determined “hippie-liberal” activists that push their way to success in academia, and assume top leadership positions. When will our country ever “wake up??”
I am a different “Anon.” than the “Anon” of March 25 at 10:02am.
Why is skin color so important but hair color isn’t? Because the left says so. Understand that, and you’ll realize how moronic and dangerous the left is.
Try being a red head.
What’s wrong with gingers?
The mockery, clowning and abuse they have to put up with for having red hair.
i’m doing my part w/ the hair problem
by going bald
i’m open to being nominated for the
nobel peace prize