The Indoctrination of White People
Why Teaching the Truth Matters
“I cannot tell a lie” was one of the first things we heard about America’s’ first President, George Washington. It was a fictional tale meant to impress us with Washington’s honesty and moral compass. It sounded better than the truth about George Washington, who worked for years to hunt down an escaped enslaved woman, Ona Judge, or that Washington’s dentures were partially made from teeth pulled from living slaves.
Had it not been for historian Edwin Betts, we would never have known about the teenage slaves in the nailery at Thomas Jefferson. Monticello's slaves were routinely beaten and whipped to improve productivity. Betts hid a letter documenting the beatings because it would tarnish Jefferson’s image. Jefferson’s descendants denied the relationship between Jefferson and the enslaved Sally Hemings for over a century until DNA forced acknowledgment. Monticello today embraces Sally Hemings, though they are vague about the nature of the relationship, suggesting it could have been consensual. They aren’t ready to call it rape. . . baby steps. Thomas Jefferson, raped Sally, her mother Betty was raped by Jefferson’s’ father-in-law, and her grandmother was raped by a white man as well. Find that in a history class.
The recent argument about the distorted teaching of Black history is misleading. The goal isn’t to deny Black achievement but to hide white atrocities. Even Florida’s guidelines, which have come under attack for suggesting slaves benefited from enslavement, cover quite a bit of ground about the achievements of Black people. They aren’t afraid to mention the many uses George Washington Carver found for the peanut or to acknowledge achievements ranging from those of politicians, civil rights leaders, and even revolutionaries like Nat Turner and Harriet Tubman.
Black athletes and entertainers are highlighted, but what went unnoticed was the steady drumbeat of the goodness of white people and their constant efforts from the nation’s founding to end enslavement. Repeated throughout was the lie that the rapid growth of the number of slaves came from “natural reproduction” instead of adequately naming it forced breeding and rape. One of my critics points out that it’s’ unfair for me to target Florida when no state teaches forced breeding and rape. Historians, educators, and government publications have long perpetuated the myth of natural increase, and I hold them all accountable.
It’s neither new nor limited to Florida that schools have been downplaying the atrocities experienced by Black people, Native Americans, Chinese immigrants, and Japanese Americans. Long before there was a Muslim ban, the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) became the first act targeting an ethnic minority. Were you ever taught that Christopher Columbus tortured Native Americans for gold, cutting off their hands and burning entire villages if they didn’t comply? Columbus enslaved Native Americans and engaged in sex trafficking of young girls, those he didn’t keep for his pleasure and his crew.
Christopher Columbus — UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog
Texas school books that were the basis for instruction in several surrounding states once referred to enslaved people as “ workers.” They were forced to change that, but still engage in a pattern of teaching American exceptionalism, which sounds very much like white supremacy.
“The Atlantic Slave Trade between the 1500s and 1800s brought millions of workers from Africa to the southern United States to work on agricultural plantations,”
Florida has stepped up its game in indoctrinating school children, admitting it does so when approving PragerU classroom materials for grades K-12. PragerU is not an accredited university; its instructors don’t have extensive educational backgrounds. The 5-minute instructional videos they produce are the result of a right-wing group admitting its intent to indoctrinate children. The founder is a right-wing talk show host who has long espoused his disdain for those he considers “the left.”
“Women are used by feminists; blacks are used by Democrats; workers are used by Communists. “” — Dennis Prager
Some of the PragerU videos feature animated children going back in time to meet historical figures. Leo and Layla meet Frederick Douglass, who completely understands why we had to have slavery, though he didn’t like it.
“I’m certainly not OK with slavery, but the founding fathers made a compromise to achieve something great, the making of the United States. It was America that began the conversation to end it.” — Fake Frederick Douglass
In reality, Douglass called slavery “the great sin of America,” he would never have dismissed enslavement as a compromise nor credited America for merely beginning a conversation. Here is a quote from his speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July. I encourage all to read the whole thing.
“I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered, in the name of the constitution and the Bible which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery Ñ the great sin and shame of America! “I will not equivocate; I will not excuse”; I will use the severest language I can command; and yet not one word shall escape me that any man, whose judgment is not blinded by prejudice, or who is not at heart a slaveholder, shall not confess to be right and just.” — Real Frederick Douglass
Florida was the first state to adopt the PragerU videos as acceptable for classroom use. New Hampshire was prepared to incorporate the videos until recent criticism forced them to pause.
“Prager tries to minimize the impact of slavery in our history. They minimize the impact of racism in our history.” — David Trumbull of Weare, NH
PragerU videos cover a range of subjects, including Why I Left the Left, War on Boys, Woke to Broke, The Inconvenient Truth About the Democratic Party, Russian Collusion & the Death of Journalism, The Truth About Gender Affirming Care, Why Do You Hate Conservatives, Why Americans Are Buying Guns, Why Is Hollywood So Woke, and several by Candace Owens, I watched one that defended the practice of slavery in America by sharing the history of slavery in the world and crediting white people for ending slavery before she veered off into Black victimhood. Some videos condemn Black Lives Matter for good measure. Not all the videos are promoted for classroom use, but once the door is opened, the flow of propaganda will rush through.
What parents should know about PragerU Kids videos | WUSF
It is said that, “History is written by the victors.” Perhaps the full quote from Missouri Senator George Graham Vest is more appropriate to modern times. Vest was a former Confederate and one of the first promoters of the Lost Cause.
“In all revolutions, the vanquished are the ones who are guilty of treason, even by the historians, for history is written by the victors and framed according to the prejudices and bias existing on their side.” — George Graham Vest
It must be said that indoctrination isn’t intended solely for white people, though part of its basis is to prevent white people from feeling guilty. Part of the idea is to pacify all of America’s minorities, especially those who don’t know their history, that things weren’t that bad and that white people have always meant the best for them.
OPINION: Why the narrative that critical race theory ‘makes white kids feel guilty’ is a lie
It is more important than ever that America’s children are taught the truth about American history, not just the parts that sound good. Whether that be about enslavement, The Black Codes, the Trail of Tears, Jim Crow, Japanese Internment, broken treaties, lynchings, forced breeding and rape, and the systemic racism that still exists. The first step in teaching truth is to end the indoctrination that has long existed but is now rapidly expanding. America can handle the truth; her politicians and leaders need convincing.
Thank you for this. I have run into the opinions, “Why can’t we just let it alone? Why bring it up, it’s over. I never owned slaves. My ancestors didn’t massacre Native people.” (I.e. I shouldn’t be made to feel guilty). What we are experiencing right now is what happens when we refuse to look at truth—we repeat the lies. Along with every other point you made, there are also pure pettiness and entitlement at work here. White, western-European male culture does not want to give up its elevated position and the myths that surround it. Admitting that we are all slogging around in this mess called humanity, and NO ONE is special, is a bitter tea they do not want to drink.
PREACH!