OPINION

A Nation at Crossroads: MLK Jr.’s Dream of Unity Plagued by Critical Race Theory

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Just after Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, January 15, 2021, the 1776 Commission released its report in preparation for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Commission was established by President Trump to respond to the false narrative that was perpetuated by the New York Times 1619 Project. According to The 1619 Project, America had a different birth date, naming the year when the first enslaved Africans came to America. The Project suggested racism is in the DNA of America, claiming that our country was birthed in discrimination and that the Revolutionary War was fought to preserve slavery. Unfortunately, thousands of schools across our great nation adopted this deceitful curriculum that has been criticized by both sides of the political spectrum. 

In the documentary film “Truth & Lies in American Education,” Dr. Carol Swain explains that “Dr. Martin Luther King had a vision that we would be judged by the content of our character rather than the color of our skin. And many people wonder, where is he in this critical race theory debate? Well, I have news for you: He has been canceled. Who canceled him? The political Left. Because they want us to be judged by the color of our skin, not the content of our character.” She goes on to say, “The consequences of judging people by the color of their skin rather than the content of our character means that as Americans, we lose the basis of unity as members of one human race. Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision was for us to all to come together. We were brothers and sisters, but according to critical race theory, we can never come together as one.”

Just recently, the now ex-President of Harvard University, Claudine Gay, has claimed racism as the cause of criticism against her, not the emerging evidence that she allegedly plagiarized nearly 50 times in her academic papers.  One of the people she may have inappropriately copied from is Dr. Carol Swain.  Given both women are black, the claim of racism is seriously problematic.  Sadly, it is more likely, the cause of criticism is found in the content of Gay’s character. Moreover, the Harvard Board’s decision to defend Gay may be attributed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies developed from critical race theory. 

Another cast member in this enlightening film about the atrocities happening in America’s classrooms is child psychologist Dr. Gary Thompson. He says, “African Americans went through a lot in our American history. Dr. King’s solution was to heal with love. The Marxists are out for revenge. ‘We had to sit in the back of the bus and now it’s your turn as white people.’ How the hell that saves America is beyond me intellectually as a doctor, is beyond me emotionally as a husband to a Caucasian woman, and it is certainly beyond me as the leader of a family of six biracial daughters.” 

Several efforts are taking positive action to build on Dr. King’s commitment to evaluating people based on the content of our character rather than superficial traits like skin color. One of those is Take Charge Minnesota is an impressive nonprofit started by a Black husband and wife. They point out the real problem in Black families, which is children being born out of wedlock. In the 1960s, when Dr. King was leading the charge to end discrimination, 80% of Black families were headed by married, two-parent families. Their focus was family, faith, and education. What took place thereafter caused devastation to Black families as government policies encouraged sex outside of marriage and single parenting. All social sciences agree that children fare better in every measure of well-being when they are born into married, two-parent families. The leading cause of poverty in children is being born out-of-wedlock. Take Charge Minnesota is encouraging Black families to take charge of their families and their futures and not depend on the government or politicians for their prosperity. I encourage every American to consider this challenge to Take Charge of their families and future prosperity. 

This year on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, I suggest we reflect on Dr. King’s vision for unity and his love for this great country. We need to agree to come together to stamp out the Marxist critical race theory that is causing our country to be more divided than ever before. A house divided against itself will surely fall. If we want this great country that is the envy of all the world to survive, we must eradicate the hate and lies of Marxist theories. 

On January 15, when we honor Dr. King’s legacy on the day of his birth, remember his words: “We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”  

Sheri Few is the Founder and President of United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE) whose mission is to end the US Department of Education and all federal education mandates. USPIE has established 20 state chapters and is growing rapidly amid the national outcry from parents who want to regain control of their children’s education. Few is a nationally recognized leader on education policy and is often quoted in conservative media. Few has spent much of the last year exposing critical race theory and serving as Executive Producer for the new documentary film titled “Truth & Lies in American Education.”