As we promised, this is a continuation of our intensive discussion during Black History Month, a “Light ‘Em Up” “After-dark Special Edition”.
In this empowering episode, our returning special guest, Dr. Sandy Womack Jr., the Region 3 area Superintendent of the Columbus City School District (the largest district in the State of Ohio) defines for us exactly what Critical Race Theory (CRT) is.
He shares that CRT is an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society — from education and housing to employment and healthcare. It recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities. According to CRT, societal issues like Black Americans’ higher mortality rate, outsized exposure to police violence, the school-to-prison pipeline, denial of affordable housing, and the rates of the death of Black women in childbirth are not unrelated anomalies”.
“CRT is a doctoral epistemology, no one is teaching that outside of graduate and doctorate level courses. Kids in K-12 are not doing anything on that level,” Womack said.
Faithful Fox News watchers, tele-prompter-readers such as Tucker Carlson, political hacks like Marjorie Taylor Greene & QAnon conspiracists who don’t read have co-opted the term “critical race theory” and use it as talking points and as a catch-all and rallying cry to silence any discussions about systemic racism, ban the truthful teaching of American history, and reverse progress toward racial justice.
Dr. Womack rhetorically asks, “Who benefits from not telling the truth?”
The term CRT has been unjustifiably used to include all diversity and inclusion efforts, race-conscious policies, and education about racism, whether or not they draw from CRT. Attempts to ban CRT are really attacks on free speech, on discussions about the truthful history of race and racism in the U.S., and the lived experiences of Black people and other people of color.
Lawmakers and proponents of the bans insist they are advocating for a balanced and “patriotic” education. In reality, these bans do the exact opposite: deny the truth about our nation’s history, silence dissent, and punish those who speak the truth to counter whitewashed falsehoods.
For 30+ years Dr. Womack has labored tirelessly to destroy the “deficit mindset” that plagues so many of our inner-city youth.
He shared unequivocal truths with us regarding how “in the U.S. we have laws, rules and policies that have been set in place that have impacted African American people economically, politically and legally — policies that have impacted the ability of certain indigenous and marginalized people to improve economically, educationally and have access to better and affordable health care … etc., cannot move forward unless these facts are acknowledged”. He spoke eloquently and convincingly how “So many people have fought and lost their lives for the right to vote and to be enfranchised” and the importance of being an educated, informed voter.
He expressed that, “until we embrace everybody that’s here (in the U.S.) and let everybody have a chance to tell their truth … then we as a people become weaker”.
Tune in and be exposed to the truth which always disturbs, divides but ultimately delivers right here on “Light ‘Em Up” - now being downloaded in 99 countries.
You can find a wealth of resources and more detailed information about Dr. Womack, Jr. by following this link: www.urbanschooleducation.com
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