Racial Phobia and the Conservative Movement Hinder Progress & Social Healing

By Norman Franklin

Norman Franklin

The Hartford County, Maryland Board of Education has cancelled the AP African American Studies course for the 2025 school year. Ryan Walters, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction has recruited Kevin Roberts and Dennis Prager to overhaul the state’s K-12 social studies curriculum.

Kevin Roberts is integral to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025; Dennis Prager is the founder of the controversial PragerU Kids. Historians and political scientists have criticized Prager for presenting misleading and inaccurate information, gaslighting slavery and racism in America. The revamping of the Oklahoma Social Studies for public schools will be aligned with the ideological imprint of these two organizations.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the boogieman larking in shadows of both decisions. The Hartford Co., BOE, shelved the AP African American Studies after testing the effectiveness of the course curriculum during the previous school year. The board fell victim to political attacks. Governor Ron DeSantis, R.Fla, demonized the course with fears of embedded CRT indoctrination in 2023.

The Heritage Foundation plans to eliminate the Department of Education and return authority and decision-making control to the states.

It was state control of public education, steeped in segregationist policies that led to federal government involvement in public education in the 1950s and 60s. The Critical Race Theory evolved, in the 1970s, as legal scholars conducted an analytical study of the Civil Rights era.

“Everything builds on what came before, the so-called American dilemma was not simply a matter of prejudice but a matter of structured disadvantages that stretched across American society,” said Kimberle’ Crenshaw, one of the founding theorists.

Critical race theory purports that systemic racism is part of American society, recognizes it as an everyday experience for people of color, and challenges the beliefs that sustain this social construct.

African Americans in Oklahoma are concerned that the overhaul of the social studies curriculum will erase uncomfortable events of American/African American history.

It’s a valid concern. Roberts, Prager, and Superintendent Walters will craft a curriculum that is unoffensive, but inaccurate.

The Hartford Co.’s decision is belabored with fears that critical race theory is weaved into the course study.

“The topics are heavily political-oriented, perpetuate the message of oppressed versus oppressor and expand beyond the course title and history years to include interlocking systems of oppression in social categories of class and other areas,” Board member Terri Kocher said in dissenting remarks.

Hartford County is comprised of three municipalities, Aberdeen, Bel Air and Harve De Gace. Demographics of the 260,924 population are: Whites 77.2%, African Americans 16%, Native/Alaskans .04%, and Asian 3.2%.

Kocher found the messages to be overwhelmingly negative. “I think we’re missing an opportunity to present positive messages of unity and great American contributions.” I was curious. I downloaded an AP African American Studies Course and Exam Description.

I was surprised.