The National Education Association (NEA) has an entire website dedicated to resources for teaching the message of the Black Lives Matter organization (BLMO). They call it “Black Lives Matter at School”. Here’s their stated goal:
“The goal of Black Lives Matter at School is to spark an ongoing movement of critical reflection and honest conversation in school communities for people of all ages to engage with issues of racial justice.”
First of all, this initiative shouldn’t be called “Black Lives Matter at School”. It should be called “All Lives Matter at School”. Because, isn’t that the message they should be sending?
No, because according to Becky Pringle, a Vice President of the NEA, the demands of the NEA relate to “ensuring our students of color, specifically our black boys and girls, have the support and resources they need, they have the policies that protect them and encourage them to go on in their education…“.
So, it appears that they weren’t mistaken when they named their initiative “Black Lives Matter at School” because they’re prioritizing the black students above everyone else.
Secondly, let’s not confuse the term “racial justice” with “racial equality”. The term “racial equality” is self-explanatory, it means every person of every race is equal. Applied to schools, it means that we give every student, regardless of race, the tools they need to succeed.
But, “racial justice” is subjective and is open to individual interpretation. Rather than teaching “racial justice” which is ambiguous at best, they should be teaching “racial equality” which I think everyone can agree is a good thing.
Schools are beginning to incorporate the BLMO message into the curriculum. But there are two obvious problems with this.
- Not every parent believes in the message of the Black Lives Matter organization. There isn’t even consensus among black people that what the BLMO claims is true. While parents may agree that all lives matter, that’s not the message the NEA is endorsing. Do you want your kids to be exposed to such political propaganda?
- There are a limited number of hours in a school day. If you want to add something to the curriculum, something else needs to be removed to free up time. What are you willing to remove to make room for “Black Lives Matter at School”?
I’m guessing that you haven’t been asked what you think. It’s likely that you weren’t even aware that this is happening. If you’re not OK with your children being exposed to political propaganda, I suggest you contact your local school board to find out if that’s what they intend to do.
