Should Teachers "Fracture the Very Foundation of our Racist Society" so that it "Crumbles"?
HSE is promoting this idea to staff
HSE Superintendent Yvonne Stokes confirmed that Fall Creek Intermediate (FCI) has decided to hold a staff book study of the book This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell.
The book calls for readers to attempt to “fracture the very foundation of our racist society” so that it will “crumble”. These are direct quotes from p. 96 of the book.
The book also says (p. 106) that it is impossible to be racist against a white person: “Being racist against white people is not a thing.”
In addition to these outrageous ideas, the book endorses nearly every tenet of Critical Race Theory as identified by CRT-founder Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic in their widely-cited 2017 textbook, Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. This includes: the idea that our current society is deeply and pervasively racist, the idea that the category of a white person is a “social construction” that was devised to serve the interests of white people at the expense of black people, the rejection of colorblindness, and the concept of “intersectionality”.
When I reached out to Dr. Stokes about this book, she responded to me with the following talking points:
The book is not being taught to students, but only to staff
The book was selected by FCI staff
Using the book in this way “does not appear to be contrary to any of the Indiana Department of Education’s (IDOE) requirements”
The book meets a legal obligation to “improve cultural competency”
Dr. Stokes has not read the book
Dr. Stokes is “not aware of any school teaching critical race theory”
Dr. Stokes does not “support resources that teach CRT since it would be contrary to the IDOE’s directives”
Further questions should be directed to FCI Principal Kim Day, who Dr. Stokes trusts to exercise due diligence in selecting staff development materials
These talking points do not address the issue. The issue is that the content of the book is outrageous and should not be promoted by the district in any way. Dr. Stokes apparently disagrees: she is fine with HSE promoting these ideas to staff. Why can’t she just be clear about this so we all know where we stand?
Furthermore, it is disappointing to see Dr. Stokes shift responsibility to Kim Day like this. Dr. Stokes is in charge of the district, and if she thinks that it is inappropriate for the district to be teaching staff to cause cracks in the foundation of our society, or that it is not possible to be racist against white people, then she needs to speak up. When you sit behind the big desk, the buck has to stop with you. There’s no way to avoid responsibility here. And for Pete’s sake, pick up the book and have a look at it!
Finally, the book in question is manifestly teaching CRT, as I have explained to Dr. Stokes, who did not take issue with my characterization of the content of the book. So, when Dr. Stokes says she is not aware of CRT being taught, she must mean that while the district is in fact teaching CRT to staff, they are not teaching CRT to students. If this is what she meant, she is again missing the point. Folks who don’t want CRT forced on their kids also don’t want it forced on their kids’ teachers, and I think Dr. Stokes knows this.
The school district should obviously not be promoting—to students or staff or anyone else—the view that people should try to cause our society to crumble, or the view that it is impossible to be racist against certain racial groups. These views are a recipe for hatred and division, and our community must reject them.
I am posting Dr. Stokes’s full email so that you can read it for yourself:
