Posted on February 22, 2013

Additional USDA Video Excerpts Revealing Compulsory “Cultural Sensitivity Training” Program

Judicial Watch, February 21, 2013

Judicial Watch today released additional excerpts from United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA) videos revealing a compulsory “Cultural Sensitivity Training” program where diversity awareness trainer and self-described “citizen of the world” Samuel Betances tells USDA employees to repeat the chant “If we work for a federal agency, we’ve discriminated in the past.” Betances also suggested to USDA employees that the United States “took over what used to be Mexico” and stated that schools are only interested in educating middle class children.

{snip}

  • “Every federal agency… I want you to say: ‘If we work for a federal agency.’ Say that. [Audience repeats] ‘We have discriminated in the past.’ [Audience repeats] Say: ‘Every federal agency,’ [Audience repeats] ‘has discriminated against African Americans,’ [Audience repeats] ‘Hispanics,’ [Audience repeats] ‘Native American Indians,’ [Audience repeats] ‘and other groups.’ [Audience repeats]. See, if you work for a federal agency, it doesn’t matter if it’s DOD, Commerce, Labor, Education, Housing, every agency has discriminated, because every agency reflects the values of the generation in charge.

  • “Mexicans came to this country last night illegally; never mind that the United States expanded and took over what used to be Mexico. If the truth be known, in a lot of these circumstances, if you tell some of these Mexicans ‘Go back where you came from,’ they go to Texas, California, Arizona. “

{snip}

The sensitivity training sessions, described as “a huge expense,” by Betances during the presentation, were held on USDA premises. The diversity event is apparently part of what USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack described in a memo sent to all agency employees as “new era of Civil Rights” and “a broader effort towards cultural transformation at USDA.” In 2011 and 2012, the USDA paid Betances and his firm nearly $200,000 for their part in the “cultural transformation” program.

review of federal contracts for Mr. Betances firm, Souder, Betances and Associates, at www.USASpending.gov reveals that the federal government gave the firm $3,313,244 in contracts over the last five years, $2.8 million of which was through the Department of Defense.

{snip}