We’ve Got To Stop Running Scurred.
Immediately after the presidential inauguration, the Trump Administration posted executive orders meant to dismantle the work of educators and activists who brought Black history and the truth of American history to light.
An immediate target of the administration was the President’s House monumental display located on the corner of 6th and Market Streets for its naming of nine enslaved persons held captive by George and Martha Washington: Hercules, Richmond, Christopher, Ona Judge, Austin, Moll, Paris, Giles and Joe. The display also named the ugly truth of African enslavement as well as the triumph of Ona Judge, who escaped the Washingtons at age 20.
The Administration fought to have the placards naming these truths removed from the site. After posturing by the Trump Administration and pushback from Mayor Parker and attorney Michael Coard of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (the group responsible for all truth-telling at the site), the National Park Service installed new panels that watered down the truth.
The battleground has now moved from the President’s House to the classroom.
The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) was investigated by a U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce, chaired by Republican Tim Walberg, and a report alleged the following:
- District curricula promote ideology justifying violent resistance and legitimize radical groups that incite antisemitism
- SDP curricula train students to be far-left activists as early as second grade.
- SDP employees— from teachers to senior staff—foment antisemitism in the district. These same employees have been responsible for drafting district curricula.
As a result, the SDP will standardize its social studies curriculum, developed by school district staff, “in partnership with national experts.” In other words, the SDP caved to House Republicans.
Down the drain goes the good work and hard work of district employees to craft a curriculum that taught Black resistance and the tentacles of white supremacy in the form of racism, imperialism, and capitalism. The House Committee believes that it is promoting violence, radicalization, and antisemitism. Of course it would, because naming America’s history of racism, imperialism, and capitalism is to expose white supremacy and whiteness as a cancer that benefits one group of people at the expense of everyone else.
But it is something that Dr. Watlington, Superintendent of SDP, said that strikes me more than anything House Republicans claimed.
Dr. Watlington said: “We want to sunset individuals in the district writing curricula… We don’t think it’s appropriate, and we think that national experts, quite frankly, are better trained to do this.”
That’s a slap in the face to the social studies curriculum writers. Are district professionals not experts? Were experts not consulted in writing the social studies curriculum? Educators in districts write curricula every year. However, curriculum writers who include teaching anti-Black racism, racial capitalism, and colonialism/imperialism in a social studies curriculum are just individuals and not experts in their craft?
Years ago, “national experts” caved to Republicans in Florida. That is to say that national experts are no guarantee that the truth will be told. Not because they don’t know the truth, but because they aren’t as committed to defending it when the government pressure threatens them, their jobs, and even their families in various forms. It seems to me that the local experts who crafted the curriculum in question don’t run scared, unlike the superintendent. They’ve stood by the curriculum, and unfortunately, they’re paying the price for their commitment to excellence and empowerment.
One thing the superintendent did say that is true is “There’s a lot of bad stuff in human history.” Most, if not all of the evil conjured in American history stems from the evils of racism, capitalism, and imperialism that have plagued each continent and specifically non-white peoples. Of course, the white power structure is opposed to this truth being taught within one of its institutions—the public school—which is meant for indoctrination and not liberation.
What the GOP desires is indoctrination: the indoctrination of apologist Americana. That is the kind of revisionist history that excuses the sins of the “victors” while prosecuting and persecuting the victims for theirs. That’s the MAGA mindset. It stems from the belief that because Donald Trump “won,” regardless of whether it was fair or foul, whiteness “won.” Strong-arming, gaslighting, and exploiting won. Not immigration, not DEI, whiteness.
Republicans are using congressional powers and influence to reset American education nationwide to reflect the “winners” view. Plain and simple.
To be clear, the white power structure isn’t concerned with the fate and circumstances of Jewish people. They’re concerned with the hegemonic goals that include the nation of Israel as part of their agenda to achieve them.
Were our Jewish brothers and sisters in the SWANA region a real concern, our foreign policy would be aimed towards peace for all, because war is destructive for everyone, as we’re currently witnessing. Were our Jewish brothers and sisters a real domestic concern, gun laws would have been in place to prevent mass shootings at synagogues, as well as in other areas. But that’s not the case.
Instead, GOP leaders are grandstanding on a House Committee. That’s what the GOP does well… that and ignore the truth. Here is the truth: 70,373 Palestinians have been murdered in the three years since October 8, 2023; 171,079 Palestinians are injured as a result of war; and Israel continues to prevent aid from entering Gaza. Make no mistake, this is a genocide.
Republicans make a lot of noise. Sadly, the noise has scared too many people into going along with their McCarthyism-like tactics or giving up completely. Thankfully, Philadelphia’s teachers, who teach the truth, don’t concede or give up easily. They empower Philadelphia young people. They equip Philadelphia young people. And most importantly, they’re honest with Philadelphia young people. Sadly, district leadership seems to move differently. The saying goes, “Honesty is the best policy.” Too bad the people in power don’t see things that way. My message to SDP leadership: it may be the season for ghosts and ghouls, but this isn’t the time to fear a witch hunt.
Don’t be scurred.
