Free Black Thought founder: It's a media 'lie' that Americans don't understand meaning of critical race theory
'They know what it is. They know what's going on in K-12 is derived from it'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Founder of Free Black Thought Erec Smith hammered the liberal media over its role in stirring up controversy surrounding issues of race and denounced what he called its use of racism, degradation and cancel culture as industries to defend the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in schools.
Smith, a York College of Pennsylvania professor, told Fox News the media was lying whenever they claimed Americans opposed to the teaching of CRT didn't understand what the concept actually was, and that a "loud minority" furthered the false idea that the entire Black community bought into the concept of systemic racism.
"Racism isn't the only industry. Degradation is too. Cancel culture is an industry," Smith said when asked about the media's role in furthering the concept that racism has become an industry. "You will get more hits on an article degrading somebody than you will praising that person. The media, and media goers, have always been like that. It's nothing new. But when you stir up controversy, it's good for news."
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Free Black Thought describes itself as a group of "scholars, technologists, parents, and above all American citizens determined to amplify vital Black voices that are rarely heard on mainstream platforms." It says it pursues no political agenda and lists the "narrow and tendentious standards of Black racial authenticity in thought and behavior" being enforced in K-12 teaching as a major concern.
"What seems to be happening in the news regarding the media is a focus on this idea that whatever is going on in K-12, whether it's math or English language arts, or something like that, isn't CRT proper. That's the refrain among those people trying to defend progressive anti-racism … 'That's not CRT, You've got it all wrong,'" Smith said. "Well, it's something wrong. And it is indeed derived from CRT."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Smith said that as long as the media focused on the idea CRT critics were wrong about the entire concept, then its proponents could continue pushing its teaching in schools and label opposition as a "right-wing scare tactic." He could only speculate as to the media's motivation for its actions beyond ratings.
"[MSNBC host] Joy Reid is one of them that definitely wants to push a progressive, anti-racist agenda to change things in society. I understand the impetus to make the world a better place, a more equitable place, but she's wrong about the idea that people don't know what CRT is," he said. "They know what it is. They know what's going on in K-12 is derived from it … It's more than a fallacious argument, it's a lie to say that people don't know what's going on."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Beyond ratings perhaps, she, and other people like her, have another agenda. I'm not entirely sure what it is, other than believing wholeheartedly in woke culture, if you will … believing wholeheartedly that and wanting to push it, and thinking this is a time in history where they need to ride the zeitgeist," Smith added.
He said he didn't buy the notion that most African Americans agreed with the media narrative regarding CRT and racism.
"I think there is a loud minority that has the outlet of the media to make them seem bigger than they actually are. I think a lot of people in the Black community do not abide by this idea of systemic racism, irredeemable racism and victimhood," he said, giving the concept of defunding the police as an example. Polling consistently shows the majority of Blacks don't want less police or to cut police funding.
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"Let's just talk about the very concept of victimhood and not being able to follow one's dreams because there's this specter of Whiteness that's going to stop you. There are way too many very confident and self-respecting people of color, especially in the Black community, who resent that," Smith said. "You see it in school board meetings where parents of color come up and talk about the detriment of what they're calling critical race theory. So in reality, Black folks are not 100 percent on board with what's being pushed in the media regarding what we believe."