Race

Statue of justice

Woke bullying from the RI ACLU indicates a strategy or pattern.

By Justin Katz | December 7, 2021 |

Yesterday, a post in this space looked at the way in which Trinity Rep leveraged woke identity politics to bully a Providence Journal theater critic over a critique in her generally positive review of A Christmas Carol. Today, let’s consider a letter that RI ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown (a white man) and Policy Associate Hannah Stern…

A white student looks away

Westerly’s teacher training shows how “Culturally Responsive Teaching” smuggles radical racism into the classroom.

By Justin Katz | December 3, 2021 |

In October, the national good-government group Judicial Watch published training documentation from the Westerly, Rhode Island, school department received from a whistleblower.  The training was developed by Rhode Island’s Highlander Institute, which recently transformed from a legitimate educational organization helping students with “learning differences” into one of the state’s leading promoters of the racist ideals…

A water drop and ripples

When they think they’re among friends, they’ll admit that CRT, equity, and anti-racism are all one thing.

By Justin Katz | November 24, 2021 |

I’ve found it very strange.  Simply, plainly things like “equity audits” in our public schools are exercises of critical race theory (CRT).  It’s just a straightforward observation, as far as I can see. Nonetheless, people will object, even people I thought were relatively conservative and relatively clear of thought.  They’ll insist they are not the…

RI Kids Count racist tweet

RI Officials and RI Kids Count Stoke Racial Animosity and Violence

By Justin Katz | November 20, 2021 |

The Rittenhouse verdict has brought out the demagogues and revealed how deeply progressives’ radical racist ideology has permeated institutional America.

A fading man on train tracks

They want to inherit victim status more than they want to inherit liberty.

By Justin Katz | November 12, 2021 |

If you’ve followed political punditry much over the past couple decades, you know how significant it is that Matthew Yglesias and Andrew Sullivan are both questioning the conclusion drawn from a recent Center for American Progress survey: A recent nationally representative survey conducted by the Center for American Progress found that LGBTQI+ members of Generation…

Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson in Netflix's Passing

With Netflix and Nella Larsen’s Passing, look for the relevant parallels.

By Justin Katz | November 11, 2021 |

Even in the pre-woke days of the 1990s, when I went to college, the traditional English curriculum was already giving way to identity politics.  More than one teacher for more than one class assigned books by Anzia Yezierska, which were good but not that good and which tended to tell the same story over and over…

Cortez Rice talks about doxing Rittenhouse jurors

Clarity about who genuinely cares about justice is important.

By Justin Katz | November 9, 2021 |

Yeah, social media is the land of wacky statements, but when themes emerge, they’re worth considering.  One theme that has emerged as the prosecution of Kyle Rittenhouse falls apart is threats that he’d be safer in jail than on the street or that the jury better find him guilty no matter what. The most prominent…

A water drop and ripples

New England progressives are schizophrenic when it comes to Asians.

By Justin Katz | November 4, 2021 |

I’ll admit that WBUR’s tweet calling the campaign for mayor of Boston on Tuesday caught my eye for reasons of humorous wordplay: RACE CALL: Michelle Wu (@wutrain) makes history, as the first woman and person of color elected to lead the city of Boston. Get it? What excites them is, in large part, her race,…

Mural at Portsmouth High School

The Equity Institute Seeks to Hide Student Surveys in Portsmouth

By Justin Katz | November 2, 2021 |

The level of secrecy and implicit threat against sharing suggests that the Equity Institute and Portsmouth school department know they are skirting a line, whether legal, moral, or political. 

Richard August and Brian Newberry on State of the State

State of the State: Civics, Black History, and Other Matters

By Richard August | October 31, 2021 |

State Representative Brian Newberry, (R; Burrillville, North Smithfield) joins Richard August to discuss a wide range of legislation and concerns including but not limited to civics and Black history to be taught in RI schools; behind the scene political power struggle; immigration; need for affordable housing; growing state budget; proposed hospital merger and more. Regarding public school curriculum, Newberry encourages parents to become more involved in what is being taught to their children.