Post by ck4829 on Feb 17, 2022 6:55:03 GMT -6
How two Black parents in Plano took action after feeling ignored in the ‘critical race theory’ fight
Jenelle Berry-Cook sat silently near the back of the room, hyperaware that she was one of only a few Black people in a crowded church assembly space. Up in front was a white Plano school board member, leading a group of parents through a training session on how to spot and fight “critical race theory.”
For more than an hour on that July night, trustee Cody Weaver lectured on the subject that has thrust public schools into the center of a culture war. He offered tips for challenging lessons and instructed parents to look for keywords in their children’s schoolwork. “Equity” and “narrative,” he told them, should pique their interest.
“They make the word whatever they want it to be,” Weaver said.
Berry-Cook had to push back.
“Who is ‘they?’” she shouted toward the stage.
Immediately, the crowd turned on her.
“We’re not here to listen to you,” a man a few rows ahead yelled. “Shut the f--- up.”
Berry-Cook stayed silent the rest of the meeting. But what she and her husband, Michael Cook, experienced that night launched them on an ongoing journey to push for more representation in their children’s schools.
In the nationwide uproar over critical race theory, the concerns of white conservatives have often been at the forefront, helping to influence a spate of restrictive legislation on this issue across the country, including in Texas.
Missing from many of the conversations are the voices of Black parents such as Cook and Berry-Cook who want children to learn about America’s honest history and understand how it lingers, influencing where people buy homes, which schools get resources and who makes laws.
www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2022/02/10/how-two-black-parents-in-plano-took-action-after-feeling-ignored-in-the-critical-race-theory-fight/
Jenelle Berry-Cook sat silently near the back of the room, hyperaware that she was one of only a few Black people in a crowded church assembly space. Up in front was a white Plano school board member, leading a group of parents through a training session on how to spot and fight “critical race theory.”
For more than an hour on that July night, trustee Cody Weaver lectured on the subject that has thrust public schools into the center of a culture war. He offered tips for challenging lessons and instructed parents to look for keywords in their children’s schoolwork. “Equity” and “narrative,” he told them, should pique their interest.
“They make the word whatever they want it to be,” Weaver said.
Berry-Cook had to push back.
“Who is ‘they?’” she shouted toward the stage.
Immediately, the crowd turned on her.
“We’re not here to listen to you,” a man a few rows ahead yelled. “Shut the f--- up.”
Berry-Cook stayed silent the rest of the meeting. But what she and her husband, Michael Cook, experienced that night launched them on an ongoing journey to push for more representation in their children’s schools.
In the nationwide uproar over critical race theory, the concerns of white conservatives have often been at the forefront, helping to influence a spate of restrictive legislation on this issue across the country, including in Texas.
Missing from many of the conversations are the voices of Black parents such as Cook and Berry-Cook who want children to learn about America’s honest history and understand how it lingers, influencing where people buy homes, which schools get resources and who makes laws.
www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2022/02/10/how-two-black-parents-in-plano-took-action-after-feeling-ignored-in-the-critical-race-theory-fight/