In the past, you were either racist or not. Choosing not to be racist meant that you didn’t treat anyone differently simply because of the color of their skin. You were one of the “good” guys.
That’s not the case, now.
Simply not being a racist isn’t good enough. Why? Because you’re not ‘antiracist.’
There’s a new term that’s popping up thanks to organizations like Antifa and Black Lives Matter. To be ‘antiracist’ means that you’re not only not a racist but you’re also actively involved in promoting racial tolerance.
Essentially, everyone is expected to be social justice warriors in the fight to end systemic racism in the United States. And, if you believe that there is no systemic racism, you’re part of the problem.
This is where we enter the problem within the Portland school system.
Katherine Watkins, a teacher at Cedar Park Middle School in Portland, warned her coworkers during a zoom that “If you’re not evolving into an anti-racist educator, you’re making yourself obsolete in this field of profession.”
She continued to warn that teachers who are white will need to change their way of thinking. As the district gets browner, it’s the only way for white teachers to effectively evolve while being able to keep their job.
Watkins believes that her colleagues who are against teaching critical race theory should be likened to pedophiles. Just as pedophiles are fired for sexually abusing children, those who want to be racist are traumatizing them, according to the middle school teacher.
The National Education Association (NEA) is already looking into whether to incorporate critical race theory into the curriculum.
And, if Watkins gets her way, Portland schools need to begin introducing critical race theory (CRT) into the classrooms immediately.
CRT is an academic movement that would teach children that the United States is fundamentally racist. Therefore, all must view every person and social interaction in terms of race or color to become “antiracist.”
To be clear, they want us to judge our social interactions based on the color of someone’s skin. In the past, that would be deemed racist. Now, it must be done to be an antiracist.
There’s a problem that CRT and people like Watkins fail to recognize.
There are entire black populations and communities across the U.S. that are against critical race theory and the idea that the country is systemically racist.
What, then?
If not all people of color can agree that the country is systemically racist, is it really as racist as they promote it to be?
How can they claim that the country is fundamentally racist when more people of color get scholarships to colleges than white people? What about all of the black people in politics? We have black mayors, governors, and Congressmen. We’ve had a black president before we have had a female president.
Where are the signs that we are systemically racist?
There is no clear answer, yet we’re supposed to change our attitudes, insult our school-aged children, and conform to this ‘antiracist’ agenda.
Why?
George Floyd died because of a racist cop. One man died because of another man’s decisions. And because of that, Black Lives Matter roared to life and demanded that we defund the police and demanded that every white person apologizes for being white.
The ‘antiracist’ agenda is one of the most divisive tools that the country has ever seen. We’ve worked hard to overcome slavery. We’ve worked hard to create equal opportunities. Nothing is black and white anymore. People are mixed with all sorts of backgrounds. It is not as simple as judging a person by the color of their skin. There are backgrounds and experiences that must be considered.
CRT does not belong in the classroom because it belongs to the left-wing extremists.
If we are to heal in this country, we need to stay clear of being an ‘antiracist.’ Simply treat everyone with equal respect. Otherwise, people like Watkins will forever change the way that children learn in the classroom. We cannot let children be taught by obvious racists – those that hate white people and want to blame everything wrong in their lives on those of different skin color.