Boston University Professor Ibram X. Kendi called Republicans the “party of white supremacy” in a recent op-ed in The Atlantic. His essay described the ways in which Republicans have been “rebranding” themselves as the political party that supports parents when in reality their opposition to critical race theory upholds white supremacist ideologies that threaten white children.
“This Republican Party is not the party of any group of parents, but the party of white supremacy,” he wrote.
Per data from Chalkbeat, about 36 states have considered or passed legislation to restrict students from learning about race and gender. Kendi wrote that the banning of anti-racist education isn’t only harmful to students of color but white children as well.
Kendi said if Republicans cared about white children, they would address the real threat facing them: white supremacy.
Read more of his essay from The Atlantic:
What are white children being indoctrinated with? What is making them uncomfortable? What is causing them to hate? White-supremacist ideology: the toxic blend of racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, and anti-Semitic ideas that is harmful to all minds, especially the naive and defenseless minds of youth. Which group is the prime target of white supremacists? White youth.
Kendi noted that many white children and teenagers are exposed to “white-supremacist recruiters.” Per a report from the Anti-Defamation League, many multiplayer gamers had been exposed to white supremacist ideologies between the ages of 13 and 17 . In addition to video games, Kendi said memes, TikTok videos and social media algorithms all contribute to “grooming” white children through electronic messages.
“To talk about domestic terrorism is to talk about white-supremacist organizations. DHS expressed “‘the need to support and protect our most vulnerable populations, our youth in particular.’” Kendi wrote.
More from Kendi’s essay:
Republicans like Cruz have been distorting anti-racist education and books, claiming they teach white kids to hate themselves, that they are inherently racist, that they are all oppressors, “that they’re superior or inferior,” as Mississippi State Senator Michael McLendon put it.
They are labeling all of this as critical race theory, simultaneously slandering the academic field of CRT when the nation’s lawmakers sorely need it and maligning anti-racist education when kids sorely need it.
This is why learning critical race theory is so important. Kendi said white kids should learn about the violence of the colonialists and enslavers to protect them from the growing threat of those white-supremacist ideologies.