The Oklahoma Superintendent of Schools is facing backlash after a discussion about Critical Race Theory in Norman, Oklahoma, on July 6.
Ryan Walters claimed that the Tulsa Race Massacre — the two-day slaughter of a town of Black people by white supremacists in 1921 — was not motivated by race. Walters was elected to the top education post in Oklahoma in November.
Walters was asked, “How does the Tulsa Race Massacre not fall under your definition of CRT?” and he responded that the massacre was not motivated by race.
“I would never tell a kid that because of your race, because of the color of your skin, or your gender or anything like that, you are less of a person or are inherently racist,” Walters said before going into his racist rant.
“That doesn’t mean you don’t judge the actions of individuals,” he continued. “Oh, you can. Absolutely, historically, you should. ‘This was right. This was wrong. They did this for this reason.’ But to say it was inherent in that because of their skin is where I say that is Critical Race Theory. You’re saying that race defines a person. I reject that.”
The video was shared on Twitter by The Black Wall Street Times with the caption: “Not teaching that race played a role in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre is negligent. White Supremacy is why the massacre wasn’t widely taught in schools for nearly 100 years. #RyanWalters is following tradition.”
The Tulsa Race Massacre is also known as the Tulsa Race Riots and took place on May 31 and June 1 of 1921. The massacre began after a Black man, Dick Rowland, was accused of assaulting a white elevator operator, Sarah Page, in…
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