In the fall of1954, A nun, a librarian, in a Catholic girls school in a tiny town in Montana, saw that I was an avid reader. She put books into my hands: poetry by by Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, essays by James Baldwin, biographies of Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman. I count that as a defining moment in my life. A few months earlier, on the morning of my thirteenth birthday, I came downstairs to breakfast and glanced at the headline in the newspaper that lay on the table. It was the same day that the Supreme Court ruled on Brown vs the State of Kansas, May 17, 1954. I read the article and realized that there were children in this country who were not allowed, by law, to have the same education that I was getting. Is that CRT? If so, I’m for it 100%
When CRT, formerly a 1970s era course of study for advanced education in which the endemicity of racism was determined to be a result of longheld systems affirmed by American society (read: "systemic racism"), was set upon as the latest scourge in the culture wars, the language and the abject hostility behind the messaging concerned me. Maybe that is an odd statement as the timeline for its relevance in the media cycle followed an embattled summer of social action in response to the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.
That the argument gained traction so quickly and was codified in both state and federal legislation with its influence eventually morphing into the banning of material in classrooms that promoted culpability of white people. In fact, I live in Oklahoma where the Governor passed a 2023 law,
HB 1775, where there are guidelines and parameters in place for teachers who introduce the subject of race even within a considered syllabus.
This leads us to the anti-DEI refrain coming from the Trump administration and his supporters. Like any culture war currency, adherents to the cause believe it means what they are told it means. As ridiculous (not to mention retread) as it sounds, the consequences are both horrifying, as when those aircraft collided in mid-air to dismantling (high ranking military personnel, chiefly people of color and women, summarily relieved of their positions.)
We did expect this and, frankly, worse, but the strategy feels more formalized, more widely accepted, in spite of the dunderhead in the Oval Office. Christopher Rufo, an ideologue much like Stephen Miller and everyone else in Trump's orbit, was not so much a seer but an exploiter regardless of his previous scholarship. His plaint isn't novel, the victimhood that he mined to arrive at his station has been tilled and tended by many a reactionary. Problem is, there are no staid, mantle Republicans to issue dissent.
I was worried that the United States was becoming more like those European far-right factions, those whose members would be interviewed by VICE media in a cafe or a hotel room, a strident discourse ensues railing against multiculturalism, immigration, the "other." Now, even some of the most extreme (including Marine Le Pen, the "Dutch Trump" and Nigel Farage) have criticized the President's deranged statecraft in his meeting with Zelenskyy.
This Guinea mother fucker is such an ignorant bastard like so many Trumpers in this country! They just are not informed by the history of this country. When Italians came here (just like other “white” people who were not the right kind white, such as the Catholic Irish) they were lynched. Also, the stupid Guinea, Mussolini, partnered with Hitler, as if Italians were considered by Hitler to be part of the “master” race! Most Italians in this country have supported MAGA & fucking Trump! They r beyond stupid!
Being a part Italian American - I found it quite strange that Rufo and other Italians and Latin public figures (Torres) have jumped on the WASP White Nationalism aka Nazi train. It was not so long ago that racist WASP leaders (not all) said that Italians, along with Eastern Europeans and Jews were ‘undesirable’ immigrants. And of course President Orange Blob Traitor’s racist insults are an ongoing thing. These new to the golf club minority guys are kind of stupid because if the sh*t hits the fan in the US - the White Nationalist Oligarchs will throw these minority sell outs under the train in a New York minute. Truly pathetic.
In the fall of1954, A nun, a librarian, in a Catholic girls school in a tiny town in Montana, saw that I was an avid reader. She put books into my hands: poetry by by Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks, essays by James Baldwin, biographies of Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman. I count that as a defining moment in my life. A few months earlier, on the morning of my thirteenth birthday, I came downstairs to breakfast and glanced at the headline in the newspaper that lay on the table. It was the same day that the Supreme Court ruled on Brown vs the State of Kansas, May 17, 1954. I read the article and realized that there were children in this country who were not allowed, by law, to have the same education that I was getting. Is that CRT? If so, I’m for it 100%
Well done. Your voice is an inspiring one that will only grow.
Wow!! Thanks for the insight
Excellent research and writing!
thank you for this insight!
Thank you. Impressive research.
Great article!
When CRT, formerly a 1970s era course of study for advanced education in which the endemicity of racism was determined to be a result of longheld systems affirmed by American society (read: "systemic racism"), was set upon as the latest scourge in the culture wars, the language and the abject hostility behind the messaging concerned me. Maybe that is an odd statement as the timeline for its relevance in the media cycle followed an embattled summer of social action in response to the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.
That the argument gained traction so quickly and was codified in both state and federal legislation with its influence eventually morphing into the banning of material in classrooms that promoted culpability of white people. In fact, I live in Oklahoma where the Governor passed a 2023 law,
HB 1775, where there are guidelines and parameters in place for teachers who introduce the subject of race even within a considered syllabus.
This leads us to the anti-DEI refrain coming from the Trump administration and his supporters. Like any culture war currency, adherents to the cause believe it means what they are told it means. As ridiculous (not to mention retread) as it sounds, the consequences are both horrifying, as when those aircraft collided in mid-air to dismantling (high ranking military personnel, chiefly people of color and women, summarily relieved of their positions.)
We did expect this and, frankly, worse, but the strategy feels more formalized, more widely accepted, in spite of the dunderhead in the Oval Office. Christopher Rufo, an ideologue much like Stephen Miller and everyone else in Trump's orbit, was not so much a seer but an exploiter regardless of his previous scholarship. His plaint isn't novel, the victimhood that he mined to arrive at his station has been tilled and tended by many a reactionary. Problem is, there are no staid, mantle Republicans to issue dissent.
I was worried that the United States was becoming more like those European far-right factions, those whose members would be interviewed by VICE media in a cafe or a hotel room, a strident discourse ensues railing against multiculturalism, immigration, the "other." Now, even some of the most extreme (including Marine Le Pen, the "Dutch Trump" and Nigel Farage) have criticized the President's deranged statecraft in his meeting with Zelenskyy.
So, now we're the worst?
It sure feels like it.
So important to bring this to light, please keep it up.
This Guinea mother fucker is such an ignorant bastard like so many Trumpers in this country! They just are not informed by the history of this country. When Italians came here (just like other “white” people who were not the right kind white, such as the Catholic Irish) they were lynched. Also, the stupid Guinea, Mussolini, partnered with Hitler, as if Italians were considered by Hitler to be part of the “master” race! Most Italians in this country have supported MAGA & fucking Trump! They r beyond stupid!
Being a part Italian American - I found it quite strange that Rufo and other Italians and Latin public figures (Torres) have jumped on the WASP White Nationalism aka Nazi train. It was not so long ago that racist WASP leaders (not all) said that Italians, along with Eastern Europeans and Jews were ‘undesirable’ immigrants. And of course President Orange Blob Traitor’s racist insults are an ongoing thing. These new to the golf club minority guys are kind of stupid because if the sh*t hits the fan in the US - the White Nationalist Oligarchs will throw these minority sell outs under the train in a New York minute. Truly pathetic.
When I say to my friends, it’s not Musk and Trump you should worry about, but the guys behind them, THIS is who I mean.