A Washington D.C. public elementary school requested children as young as four participate in an "anti-racism" lecture while asking them to identify racist family members.
A letter from Janney Elementary School Principal Danielle Singh, dated Nov. 30, outlined how students in Pre-K through 3rd grade partook in an "Anti-Racism Fight Club" lecture by speaker Doyin Richards.
"As part of this work," Singh writes, "each student has a fist book to help continue the dialogue at school and home. We recognize that any time we engage topics such as race and equity, we may experience a variety of emotions. This is a normal part of the learning and growing process. As a school community we want to continue the dialogue with our students and understand this is just the beginning."
According to the information obtained by the New York Post, Richards' "Anti-Racism Fight Club Fistbook for Kids" defines that "white people are a part of a society that benefits them in almost every instance," and that "it's as if white people walk around with an invisible force field because they hold all of the power in America."
"If you are a white person," the children's workbook reads, "white privilege is something you were born with and it simply means that your life is not more difficult due to the color of your skin."
"Put differently, it's not your fault for having white privilege, but it is your fault if you choose to ignore it."
The "Fistbook for Kids" maintains that anti-racism "isn't a spectator sport. It requires being loud, uncomfortable, confrontational and visible to ensure change is made."
A series of self-examinatory questions in the book asks kids: "Where do you see racism in yourself? This requires true soul-searching. Be real with yourself, don't feel guilt/shame and own it. It's the first step in becoming an anti-racist."
In one section titled, "How to deal with racism from loved ones," the book tells kids that "just because someone is older than you doesn't mean that they're right all of the time."
"If someone doesn't believe that people should be treated equally based on the color of their skin, then they are the problem. Parents need to stop making excuses for that behavior if they truly believe in anti-racism," the book adds. "Who in your family has racist beliefs? Do you think you can change their ways? What is your strategy for dealing with them?"
After the school finished its presentation with the kids, it sent parents a resource link directing them to another one of Richards' works, the original "Anti-Racism Fight Club Fistbook" for adults, which states that "racism is as American as apple pie and baseball."
"As we sit here today," the adult book reads, "it is still woven into the fabric of our homes, communities, schools, government, economic system, healthcare, and so much more. As a matter of fact, it would be difficult to find one facet of our society where racism does not exist. White supremacy isn't the shark, it's the ocean."
Additionally, the original "Fistbook" said "your feelings about Colin Kaepernick serve as a great barometer of how you would feel about Dr. King" at the time of the Civil Rights Movement."
"If you hate Kaepernick now," it continues, "you'd hate Dr. King if he was alive today. And do you know what's funny? In 50 years from now, white people will probably talk glowingly of Kaepernick as they are with Dr. King now. Stop using his quotes to benefit your racism."
According to a report from Fox News, purported parents of kids at Janney Elementary later complained about the Nov. 30 presentation on an online forum called "D.C. Urban Moms and Dads."
One anonymous poster wrote: "Anyone else's Kindergarten kid freaked out by an anti-racism assembly today? My kid needed to sleep with a light on and the door open tonight. Anyone know what specifically was talked about? My kid couldn't relay much except that she was scared."
Due to conflicting reports, it could not be verified if the school sent the kids home with a copy of the book or if the students who attended the assembly, ages 4-9, were mandated to attend.
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