Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt ousted from Tulsa Race Massacre commission over critical race theory ban

close

Video

Tulsa Race Massacre commission removes Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt after law banning critical race theory

'The left is just trying to politicize this,' Republican governor tells 'Fox & Friends Weekend'

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told "Fox & Friends" on Sunday that he was removed from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Commission over his classroom ban on critical race theory, which was signed into law earlier this month.

"To me it was a no brainer," Stitt said. "The bill that we signed, If you read it, it simply says that we're not going to say in our schools in Oklahoma that one race is superior to another race, and I'm not going to teach a first-grader that just because of the color of their skin that they're an oppressor or somehow should feel guilty about something that happened 100 years ago."

GOV. STITT SIGNS NEW LAW BANNING CRITICAL RACE THEORY FROM OKLAHOMA CLASSROOMS 

"The left is just trying to politicize this," he continued. "It is a no-brainer. Read the bill."

The new law signed by Stitt implicitly bans the teachings of critical race theory from being included in the state's public school curriculum.

Stitt, a Republican, signed House Bill 1775 into law on Friday. In part, the bill states that "no teacher shall require or make part of a course that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex." Though the bill does not name "critical race theory," it does list several concepts that cannot be made part of a course by school employees, such as the belief "an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex."

The bill also prevents educators from teaching students that "any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex," or that "meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race."

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Commission last week announced their decision to part ways with the governor whose support for the critical race theory ban was unpopular among other commission members and community organizers.

In a video statement released after signing Bill 1775, Stitt argued that the legislation "clearly endorses teaching to the Oklahoma academic standards, which were written by Oklahoma educators and include events like the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Tulsa Race Massacre, the emergence of Black Wall Street, Oklahoma City lunch counter sit-ins led by Clara Luper and the Trail of Tears."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I think 80%, 90% of Americans agree with what we're talking about," Stitt said Sunday. "We shouldn't be teaching political activism in our public school system and In Oklahoma, we banned that from happening."

Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.