Who is Indoctrinating Whom?
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A form of hypocrisy is what it is. Have you ever accused someone of doing something while you were actually engaging in the very thing you were charging? Over the past year, the far-right has accused educators, Democrats, and others of "indoctrination" regarding Critical Race Theory (CRT), gender identity, and diversity in the classroom. Indoctrination is defined as the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of ideas, beliefs, and values. Humph, this is interesting because there have been attempts to condition or brainwash Black people into believing that we are inferior since being brought to America. So, these recent accusations of indoctrination regarding racism are like the pot calling the kettle black.
Since the 2020 protests, after the killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, the African-American Policy Forum reports that more than 35 states have introduced or passed legislation to ban CRT. Critical Race Theory is a line of thoughts and beliefs that racism and discrimination are systemic in America. The attack on CRT has come from the far-right in the Republican party. I believe this attack was initiated because so many young people, let me be specific, young White people, were sympathetic or sensitive to the blatant racism that played out in 2020. So, the Republican party blames Critical Race Theory or the idea of systemic racism as the guiding factor in White allyship. They believe that CRT is divisive and that it causes White guilt.
Since our existence in this country, we've been brainwashed to believe that we are inferior. Slavery, Jim Crow, and racism have been based on the idea of white supremacy. That is indoctrination at the highest level. White supremacy, racism, and discrimination have been valued and passed down through generations. These ideas perpetuate the notion that BIPOC people are less valuable and less deserving. CRT exposes the indoctrination of white supremacy, and there is plenty of historical evidence to prove it. Every day, Black people in America are fed false messages about who we are and how we are valued or not. For example, America has opened its borders for specific refugees like the Afghan and Ukraine people over the last year. Yet, we have all seen the images of the Haitian refugees being chased by authorities carrying whips on horseback. These images drive and support the ideas of a racial hierarchy in America. This indoctrination in white supremacy has fed into a worldview in many respects. Hence, the discrimination against Black and Brown people played out as people were fleeing from the war in Ukraine.
So, I believe the opponent's claim that teaching the concept of CRT is indoctrination is hypocritical. Especially when our society promotes and upholds a white superior value system. This value system certainly played out last week during the Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was treated as though she was not worthy of the nomination though she is more qualified than those currently sitting on the Supreme court. White supremacy was on full display as the line of questions she endured focused on her identity and not her intelligence.
This attack on CRT and Black History is retaliation because they see its effectiveness in opening the eyes of this generation. The far-right wants to suppress and hide the truth about our history. The efforts and headlines discrediting and demonizing CRT have given some teachers an excuse not to teach Black History and made others afraid to teach it.
So, the question in my mind is who is indoctrinating whom?
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