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The Racial Healing Handbook: "Christian Privilege", "White Privilege", "Adultism" and more as a book study for teachers in a VA Beach School

5/18/2021

My video on this can be viewed here.

A couple of months ago I was notified about a book study being conducted at one of our middle schools in Va Beach, using a book called The Racial Healing Handbook by Anneliese Singh. A citizen made a request under the Freedom of Information Act and received the emails on the topic. These e-mails revealed that over 25 teachers appeared to be participating in this book study that was led by the Assistant Principal and promoted by the Principal. When it was made public that this was happening, the School Board received a letter via email signed by 16 teachers at the school. These teachers were upset that their book study was discontinued.

So, I wanted to know first-hand what was in this book so I read it. I’m absolutely appalled by what is in this book and the public needs to know about this vile indoctrination that attacks Christianity, that attacks people because of the skin color they were born with, that attacks people who are heterosexual and monogamous, and more. Here are just a few of the outrageous topics:

Excerpts from the book on the topic of Christianity:

Religious identity (sometimes called spiritual identity) refers to the extent to which you identify or don’t identify with religion or spirituality—in essence your belief in whether God or some other higher power exists. Christian privilege is a hallmark of religious/spiritual privilege
In addition, people can enact religious privilege when they assume those under the atheist umbrella (e.g., agnostic, nonbeliever) are “wrong” or “misguided.”
Practice exercise for the reader: As you work to reduce religious privilege—either as a White person by using your racial privilege or as a person of color by using your own and others’ experiences of racism—what experiences, knowledge, or understandings do you need to keep in mind in terms of your religious identity intersecting with your race?

Excerpts on the topic of White Privilege and White Supremacy:

White supremacy is real, and the amount of melanin that you have in your skin signals something to the world about the societal norms that will be applied to your presumed race.
If you are a person of color, you have internalized negative messages and beliefs about your race, and if you are White, you have internalized a sense of dominance related to your race.
For White people, the phrase “internalized dominance” may be more accurate; racism, with its assumption of White supremacy, can lead to ignorance and disregard of other cultures and blindness to their own privilege.
When you are born, racism is already in place.
Denial about racism can look like White folks enacting White supremacy
Because racism is pretty much everywhere…. you will unexpectedly find yourself in what I like to call the “flow of racism.” (author’s words)

Excerpts on Adultism:

Adultism is the oppression of children, adolescents, and those who are perceived as young in society. Adultism manifests in the idea that children and adolescents must be controlled and don’t have agency over their own bodies and decisions

Now that you know a little about what is in this book, let me tell you what the teachers who wrote the letter to the School Board felt about their book study being discontinued (see full letter). They stated that they “know that Ms. Manning’s views are not shared by all of you (School Board), but we want to make you all aware..and express our concern about the future of equity, professional development and discourse in our school and the school system at large”. “Our nation and local community have been recently deeply impacted by racial injustice and unrest; though systemic racism has always existed, it is now impossible to ignore. We, as educators, must be part of the solution. How can we have conversations with our students if we cannot have conversations amongst ourselves?”

When my colleague and I questioned the Superintendent, he stated that this study was done after school hours on the teachers’ own time. However, the emails that were obtained clearly show that this book study was done during the “instructional leadership team” meetings DURING the school day. The Superintendent told us that this was a voluntary book study; however, e-mails seem to indicate otherwise. We did confirm that taxpayer dollars funded this book study. I also confirmed that not all teachers who participated in this book study wanted to be there and it made them feel very uncomfortable.

The Superintendent told me that the book study has not been terminated but “paused” in order “to allow the DOSL (Dept of School Leadership) and DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) teams to understand its intent and use”.

I am disgusted that religious liberties and civil rights have been violated in this way and that there is still consideration for allowing this book study to continue. I don’t know if there is any legal action that can be taken but we must all speak up and make sure this ends and that it doesn’t happen again.

I am joining with a couple of other colleagues in supporting the resolution below. We will need the public to speak up if you want the School Board to adopt this resolution in order to stop these things from happening in our schools.

Folks, it is past time to speak up. Please contact the School Board via e-mail: (vbcpsschoolboard@googlegroups.com), call: phone numbers here, speak at the next meeting and let them know that this radical indoctrination must stop now!

My video on this can be viewed here.​

Substitute Resolution

​Furthermore, the Virginia Inquiry Collaborative has lesson plans for "Equality". Their suggested reference material is a Gloria Steinem video advocating for abortion and the Gay Manifesto by Carl Whitman which includes the following excerpt:

​Slide from Session II of "Equity in Teaching and Learning"

Memos looking for teachers to participate

More VBCPS teacher training (Teaching Tolerance is from the radical Southern Poverty Law Center)

This is a VDOE training that teachers across the state participated in (including VB Teachers). Talking about "Interrogating Whiteness"

Statement from a VB Teacher

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My video on this can be viewed here.

Furthermore, the Virginia Inquiry Collaborative has lesson plans for "Equality". Their suggested reference material is a Gloria Steinem video advocating for abortion and the Gay Manifesto by Carl Whitman which includes the following excerpt:

Slide from Session II of "Equity in Teaching and Learning"