Private Schools Wokeness Over the Top

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

All of this. 100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

I am confused about this also. I consider myself left of middle and don’t always agree with specific policies of the party, especially at the local level. But I just can’t get into bashing “wokeness” as some vague concept. It would be really helpful to know why OP feels like she doesn’t fit into her woke private school community. What has happened that makes you feel like you don’t fit in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

If you're OLD you probably don't have K12 kids right now and have not seen the insane indoctrination going on in many DC schools.

You'd be surprised. Ask OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I believe in diversity and equity. The way it is pushed these days is more like a religion where other opinions are not allowed (look at the Hamline University debacle.. I am muslim and every muslim I know thinks what happens is insane). I am a person who is an admirer of Edward Said's book Orientalism as well as the People's History of the United States. I am Arab so am staunchly anti-imperialist. But I think schools have gone overboard. Also there is very little critique of class. I get it - they are private schools. But it is hypocritical to be pushing all of this and ignore the class aspect.

My kids are young - Kindergarten and first grade so they haven't been exposed to a lot of this yet. But I am worried that there is some indoctrination going on.

Sounds like you would be happy for your kids to be taught about the specific type of oppression that has affected people of your ethnicity/religion. But you chafe at having to think about any injustice that doesn't affect you personally (or a group you identify with).

Maybe think about why that is

Not really. The "People's History of the United States" talks about oppression of the various minority groups in the US. I also mentioned in a separate post that I am a big fan of Cornell West and Reverend Barbar who focus mostly on anti-black racism within the US and income inequality. Also really like James Baldwin. The problem is that you can't understand why a person who is against colonialism, racism etc. is also against this new progressive ideology. There is a huge difference between Cornell West and Kendi. The difference between the two is why I just can't stand this new DEI crap.

Honestly I don't really understand. You liked the People's History of the United States but you don't think your kids should learn about the genocide of the Native American people? You like James Baldwin but you don't think kids should learn about the legacy of slavery or that there are multiple possible gender identities? Maybe go back and re-read those

OP here. Yes the problem is you don't understand. DEI/wokism is reductive and simplistic. Cornell West and James Baldwin are actually thinkers who are more nuanced. Of course I think my kids should learn about the genocide of Native American people. Where did I say they shouldn't? Go back to the quote that I had from the article about China. I am not a fan of Huntington but the quote I put was spot on - except like I said that I don't care that much about culture but the continuous focus on specific identity categories undermines solidarity amongst different identity groups which is necessary if we want to effectuate change. Here is the quote again:

"Progressive liberal ideology seeks to downplay cultural wholes. It envisions the world in universal, globalist terms, while reducing national ­societies to collections of atomized individuals. In its advanced form as identity politics, this version of liberalism views individuals as members of intersecting identity categories—categories that are not real communities and cultures, but rather demographic abstractions such as “Asian American” and “LGBTQIA+.” The word “community” may be added to such abstractions—as in “LGBTQIA+­ ­community”—but it is empty, for none of the identity-­politics categories are concrete communities with shared cultural lives. Indeed, the pseudo-­solidarity of identity politics further atomizes the individual by undermining the legitimacy of inherited cultures. This outcome is not accidental. Progressive liberals seek to weaken the hold of larger cultural collectives by erasing them from their accounts of the social world, accounts they disseminate using their dominance in the West’s humanities and social science departments."

I read a different article that has more of a leftist, "global south" critique of what's happening but unfortunately I can't find it, so this specific quote from this article will have to do.

I guess in the absence of you identifying any actual "wokeness" at your kids' school I am left to speculate about what it actually is that bothers you. Someone mentioned Columbus and gender identity earlier but maybe that wasn't you.

Many of us roll our eyes at the DEI industry and some of the clunkier DEI initiatives, nothing is perfect. It seems like you are saying you prefer no discussion of diversity/equity to a discussion that lacks nuance. I think most people who care about racial justice and equity would come out differently on that, not least because most things lack nuance at the elementary school level by necessity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent from a foreign background, this article resonated with me. I feel lost here and feel like I no longer fit in.

https://www.slowboring.com/p/who-is-included-by-inclusive-language

As a parent who raised 6 productive members of society, I can unequivocally that given your title you are an idiot.

I probably shouldn't have used the term "woke" because it is a cultural lightening rod but I'm human and I make mistakes. I'm not American so I am not with either side of this debate so perhaps the term doesn't have the significance or the meaning it has for me as it does for others - I'm looking at it from the outside in (though admittedly I have lived here for 15 years now so in a way the US is part of me but I'm still an outsider). You call me an idiot. Did you bother understanding my critique and reading what I said? Calling people you disagree with idiots is part of the problem. It seems like no one is willing to listen to the other side anymore. I'm not even the "other side" I'm just a person looking in. The US has become so tribal that different opinions are not tolerated. I feel lost here. What I loved about America is quickly disappearing.

But there isn't a debate. Woke is a term weaponized by the right to signal "black people"

Ultimately the question is, do we as a society values each other, and celebrate the differences we all share, or are we meant to segregate and compartmentalize.

What you are calling "woke" is people coming together and sharing the best of the cultures we come from, and then there are the segregationists, who lost the Civil War and World War II and are now trying it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

If you're OLD you probably don't have K12 kids right now and have not seen the insane indoctrination going on in many DC schools.

You'd be surprised. Ask OP.

I am as old as PP and remember the 80’s when they taught us melting pot vs salad bowl concepts. I also have a kid in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

If you're OLD you probably don't have K12 kids right now and have not seen the insane indoctrination going on in many DC schools.

You'd be surprised. Ask OP.

I actually have middle schoolers and high schoolers right now (yup - I was an old first time mom)
And many people have asked for examples, but haven't really gotten much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

I gave a specific example here. I am not dying of worry. If I were I wouldn't be posting on DCUM. I am just generally concerned over the direction that some schools are taking (though they are just a reflection of the country in general). I shared an article by Matt Yglesias (who by the way I have many issues with but that's for another day) that wasn't alarmist or anything but made a couple of good points and that I generally agreed with. If you read my response in 01/18/2023 15:28 (for some reason the quotes are hidden) you will get what I'm complaining about. Again I'm not dying of worry. Just coming here in the hope of sparking an interesting discussion and the discussion is definitely interesting! So thanks all for participating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent from a foreign background, this article resonated with me. I feel lost here and feel like I no longer fit in.

https://www.slowboring.com/p/who-is-included-by-inclusive-language

As a parent who raised 6 productive members of society, I can unequivocally that given your title you are an idiot.

I probably shouldn't have used the term "woke" because it is a cultural lightening rod but I'm human and I make mistakes. I'm not American so I am not with either side of this debate so perhaps the term doesn't have the significance or the meaning it has for me as it does for others - I'm looking at it from the outside in (though admittedly I have lived here for 15 years now so in a way the US is part of me but I'm still an outsider). You call me an idiot. Did you bother understanding my critique and reading what I said? Calling people you disagree with idiots is part of the problem. It seems like no one is willing to listen to the other side anymore. I'm not even the "other side" I'm just a person looking in. The US has become so tribal that different opinions are not tolerated. I feel lost here. What I loved about America is quickly disappearing.

But there isn't a debate. Woke is a term weaponized by the right to signal "black people"

Ultimately the question is, do we as a society values each other, and celebrate the differences we all share, or are we meant to segregate and compartmentalize.

What you are calling "woke" is people coming together and sharing the best of the cultures we come from, and then there are the segregationists, who lost the Civil War and World War II and are now trying it again.

Oh my, the Woke Church apparently does not tolerate discusion or debate. Who knew?

Beware OP you're about to be excommunicated, move out of crazy DC while you can

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent from a foreign background, this article resonated with me. I feel lost here and feel like I no longer fit in.

https://www.slowboring.com/p/who-is-included-by-inclusive-language

As a parent who raised 6 productive members of society, I can unequivocally that given your title you are an idiot.

I probably shouldn't have used the term "woke" because it is a cultural lightening rod but I'm human and I make mistakes. I'm not American so I am not with either side of this debate so perhaps the term doesn't have the significance or the meaning it has for me as it does for others - I'm looking at it from the outside in (though admittedly I have lived here for 15 years now so in a way the US is part of me but I'm still an outsider). You call me an idiot. Did you bother understanding my critique and reading what I said? Calling people you disagree with idiots is part of the problem. It seems like no one is willing to listen to the other side anymore. I'm not even the "other side" I'm just a person looking in. The US has become so tribal that different opinions are not tolerated. I feel lost here. What I loved about America is quickly disappearing.

DP: The term "woke" is perfect for what you're describing, and it's the woke mob that is here trying to gaslight you and insult you and bully you into submission.

Imagine what they are doing to our kids.

They are from the pit of hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent from a foreign background, this article resonated with me. I feel lost here and feel like I no longer fit in.

https://www.slowboring.com/p/who-is-included-by-inclusive-language

As a parent who raised 6 productive members of society, I can unequivocally that given your title you are an idiot.

I probably shouldn't have used the term "woke" because it is a cultural lightening rod but I'm human and I make mistakes. I'm not American so I am not with either side of this debate so perhaps the term doesn't have the significance or the meaning it has for me as it does for others - I'm looking at it from the outside in (though admittedly I have lived here for 15 years now so in a way the US is part of me but I'm still an outsider). You call me an idiot. Did you bother understanding my critique and reading what I said? Calling people you disagree with idiots is part of the problem. It seems like no one is willing to listen to the other side anymore. I'm not even the "other side" I'm just a person looking in. The US has become so tribal that different opinions are not tolerated. I feel lost here. What I loved about America is quickly disappearing.

But there isn't a debate. Woke is a term weaponized by the right to signal "black people"

Ultimately the question is, do we as a society values each other, and celebrate the differences we all share, or are we meant to segregate and compartmentalize.

What you are calling "woke" is people coming together and sharing the best of the cultures we come from, and then there are the segregationists, who lost the Civil War and World War II and are now trying it again.

OP here. Again black and white thinking. Really conservatives and progressives are two sides of the same coin though I admit that progressives tend to have people's best interests at heart. It's just that the result is the same and stems from the same western individualistic thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

If you're OLD you probably don't have K12 kids right now and have not seen the insane indoctrination going on in many DC schools.

You'd be surprised. Ask OP.

I actually have middle schoolers and high schoolers right now (yup - I was an old first time mom)
And many people have asked for examples, but haven't really gotten much.

OK, here go a few good general articles:

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-turn-liel-leibovitz

https://unherd.com/2022/11/anti-racism-attacks-my-american-dream/

https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent from a foreign background, this article resonated with me. I feel lost here and feel like I no longer fit in.

https://www.slowboring.com/p/who-is-included-by-inclusive-language

As a parent who raised 6 productive members of society, I can unequivocally that given your title you are an idiot.

I probably shouldn't have used the term "woke" because it is a cultural lightening rod but I'm human and I make mistakes. I'm not American so I am not with either side of this debate so perhaps the term doesn't have the significance or the meaning it has for me as it does for others - I'm looking at it from the outside in (though admittedly I have lived here for 15 years now so in a way the US is part of me but I'm still an outsider). You call me an idiot. Did you bother understanding my critique and reading what I said? Calling people you disagree with idiots is part of the problem. It seems like no one is willing to listen to the other side anymore. I'm not even the "other side" I'm just a person looking in. The US has become so tribal that different opinions are not tolerated. I feel lost here. What I loved about America is quickly disappearing.

But there isn't a debate. Woke is a term weaponized by the right to signal "black people"

Ultimately the question is, do we as a society values each other, and celebrate the differences we all share, or are we meant to segregate and compartmentalize.

What you are calling "woke" is people coming together and sharing the best of the cultures we come from, and then there are the segregationists, who lost the Civil War and World War II and are now trying it again.

Oh my, the Woke Church apparently does not tolerate discusion or debate. Who knew?

Beware OP you're about to be excommunicated, move out of crazy DC while you can

OP here. Yes that's the problem. They don't accept dissenting opinions even from people (like me) who agree with a lot of what they are saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am genuinely shocked about people referring to a melting pot.

I am OLD and even I remember waaaay back in the 80s talking about how the US isn't a melting pot - that was an antiquated and stupid analogy. Instead, we could think of the US as a salad bowl, where every piece retains it's own unique flavors and comes together as one better whole.

I've also read through most of nine pages and have yet to understand exactly what the OP is worried about or what she considers "woke". I get she doesn't like Kendi. OK, fair enough. Reasonable people can disagree about any specific person or idea. But not sure where the lead comes from there to some larger "wokeness" she's concerned about.

If you're OLD you probably don't have K12 kids right now and have not seen the insane indoctrination going on in many DC schools.

You'd be surprised. Ask OP.

I actually have middle schoolers and high schoolers right now (yup - I was an old first time mom)
And many people have asked for examples, but haven't really gotten much.

OK, here go a few good general articles:

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-turn-liel-leibovitz

https://unherd.com/2022/11/anti-racism-attacks-my-american-dream/

https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter

OP here. I mean Bari Weiss is the queen of cancel culture (when it comes to anyone who is pro-palestinian) but she brings up some good examples in her substack especially when it comes to what is going on in universities.

[Anonymous]

What's "woke"? Believing minorities deserve the same opportunities and protections as whites? Count me in. That people can love who they want and identify as they want without harassment or ridicule or fear? Count me in. That all people can worship the god they believe in without exclusion? Count me in. Or even that women should earn as much as men and have all the same opportunities? Count me in.