Democrat and Republican leaders are sharply divided on whether children in Oklahoma should be indoctrinated with the view that America is dominated by “white racism.”

According to Republican leaders, “Critical race theory” promotes racism and divides people. Democrat leaders want public school teachers to continue to be free to teach that “white supremacy” continues to permeate our society.

The Republican majority passed House Bill 1775, which prohibits Oklahoma public schools and colleges from inserting certain messages about race, sex into their curriculum and it stops mandatory gender or “sexual diversity” training or counseling in the schools. Gov. Stitt signed the bill into law.

“This bill simply says that teachers can’t force a student to answer that they are inherently racist or sexist or that they must feel personally responsible for things perpetrated in the past by people of a similar race or gender,” said House author Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore. “This bill will in no way stop the teaching of history or anything currently in our Oklahoma education standards, including curriculum that shows historical examples of racism or genocide.”

West said much of the curriculum known as “Critical Race Theory” is based on Marxist ideology that is designed to teach children to hate American exceptionalism and distrust others based on skin color or gender. Additionally it teaches that most laws and systems in America are historically rooted in the racist oppression of black people and other marginalized groups. It promotes the theory of implicit bias and inherent racism due to one’s skin color.

That vote sent progressive Democrats through the roof.

“Under the OK Academic Standards we teach about World War II, but under this bill, we’d have to leave out Hitler’s well-documented conceptual beliefs on racial ‘purity’ and the superiority of the ‘Germanic’ or ‘Aryan master race’ that led to the slaughter of 6 million innocent people,” said Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa. 

Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa, thinks ‘diversity training” should be a priority in educating children. “The scariest part of this horrendous bill is the limiting of difficult discussions in a place that is supposed to be about learning and free thinking — our education system,” Blancett said. “How can we truly believe that the concept of diversity and inclusion should not be broached in a learning environment where we openly discuss diverse perspectives?”

Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, who is black, thinks the bill is a conspiracy by white legislators.

“House Bill 1775 represents white male privilege and those who do not want individuals to be discomforted by the teaching of black and white facts of individual and collective racism past and present in America,” Goodwin said. “Responsibility is not separated from the general collective benefits of white society.”

Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, said the bill is a hedge against the progressive indoctrination of public school students.

“As a veteran educator with fifteen years’ experience, teaching U.S. History, Government, and the Constitution, I have seen many shifts in curriculum such as pedagogy and critical thinking models,” Bullard said. “Unfortunately, there is a disturbing trend that has currently found its way into both higher education and in K-12.

“Too many schools and institutions have stopped focusing on high quality education and instead have turned to a policy of indoctrination.  As someone who is proud of my public-school roots, this shift is very disappointing and is not acceptable for the students of our state. I am resolved to make sure this does not continue in Oklahoma.

“Critical Race Theory is poison to the minds of students and promotes racism rather than ending it.  It is robbing our society of shining stars, so needed in our culture today.”

Bullard quoted the late Fredrick Douglas, a black leader who said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. And it’s true. You cannot give a child back their childhood.”

“Passage of this bill is a declaration of Oklahoma’s independence against false teaching, pushing back against those who would divide us,” Bullard said. “I will not stop fighting until our students are free of this indoctrination.”

The bill specifically states that no teacher, administrator or other employee of a school district, charter school or virtual charter school shall require or make part of a course the following concepts:

• one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,
• an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously,
• an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex,
• members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex,
• an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex,
• an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex,
• any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex, or
• meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race.

HB 1775 also specifies that no enrolled student of an institution of higher education within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education shall be required to engage in any form of mandatory gender or sexual diversity training or counseling. Voluntary counseling is not prohibited.

“These trainings have our students taking multiple choice tests asking them a litany of questions about gender and sexual diversity,” West said. “If they get the question incorrect according to the parameters of the test, it does not move onto the next question, but rather it makes them choose answers until they land on the approved choice. This is a blatant attempt to indoctrinate our children to not think for themselves, but rather think how the test program would like them to think.”

The bill has drawn praise from groups that oppose socialist indoctrination of public school students.

“Passage of House Bill 1775 sends a signal nationwide that Oklahomans will not tolerate efforts that force children to submit to the Marxist and racist theology of critical race theory, which demands that we judge people by the color of their skin, hold them accountable for the actions of others, and impose psychological harm based only an individual’s genetics,” said Jonathan Small president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

“Oklahoma taxpayers pour billions of state and local tax dollars into schools annually. State-sanctioned and state sponsored racism has no place in our schools, and HB 1775 is an important step in removing this poison from our culture.”