Tipsheet

NY State High School Teacher's Presentation Alleges America Is More Racist Now Than 200 Years Ago

An 11th grade English class at a New York state high school included a presentation that mirrored critical race theory, telling students that America and white people are racist.

According to screenshots obtained by nonprofit parent group Parents Defending Education, a Powerpoint shown to students at Great Neck North High School featured a number of slides on race that appeared to portray the U.S. as a systemically racist country that has not progressed since its founding, and claimed that every white person is racist based solely on their skin color.

One slide asserted that racism in America is "systemic," "as old as America itself," "no better today than it was 200 years ago" and "changing and evolving in more subtly sinister ways."

It went on to allege that "White people benefit from this system, intentionally or unintentionally, which makes us all (technically) racist*, including myself," suggesting that the teacher showing the presentation was white.

 The presentation further alleged that white people "harbor significant fragility when discussing race" before claiming that such "manifestations of fragility" include getting defensive or angry, experiencing guilt and becoming tearful.

The Powerpoint also featured a slide on the "Functions of White Fragility," which included hijacking a conversation, protecting white privilege and taking race off the table.

Additionally, the class' current readings included "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi and "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism" by Robin DiAngelo.

The teacher requests that the class take a pledge, agreeing to "confront our own roles in a racist system," "commit to calling out our own racist tendencies and those of others, even at the expense of exposing white fragility" and "to view antiracism as a lifelong process that we will work toward relentlessly."

Officials at Great Neck North High School and Great Neck Public Schools did not respond to Townhall's requests for comment.