A school board in Colorado Springs, Colorado, banned critical race theory from being taught after a black father gave a speech describing how racism would “by and large be dead” in the United States if institutions were not “keeping it on life support.”
“I am a direct descendant of the North American slave trade,” the man said during a school board meeting, according to footage shared by Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo. “Both my parents are black. All four of my grandparents are black, all eight of my great-grandparents, and all 16 of my great-greats.”
“I am not oppressed. I’m not oppressed, and I’m not a victim,” he stated.
The school board for Colorado Springs District 49 moved to ban critical race theory in a vote of 3 to 2 after the man and others spoke, as reported by a local news outlet. The board’s president, John Graham, was in favor of outlawing the dogma.
The man speaking said he has three kids and “can think of nothing more damaging to a society than to tell a baby born today that she has grievances against another baby born today, simply because of what their ancestors may have done two centuries ago.”
“There’s simply no point in doing that to our children, and putting critical race theory into our classrooms in part does that,” he said, to which attendees gave a standing ovation. “Putting critical theory into our classrooms is not combating racism. It’s fanning the flames of what little embers are left. I encourage you to support this resolution. Let racism die the death it deserves.”
School board Director Ivy Liu and Secretary Rick Van Wieren wrote the resolution to ban critical race theory in preparation for the meeting last week. The members said the dogma “excludes individuals who merely advocate for neutral principles of the Constitution, or who deny or question the extent to which white supremacy shapes our institutions.”
Liu and Van Wieren could not be reached for comment.