Posted on September 19, 2023

California School Teaching That White People Have ‘No Culture’ Sparks Fury

Giulia Carbonaro, Newsweek, September 19, 2023

Claims that a California school told students that white people had “no culture” have sparked controversy, with a parent expressing outrage about the alleged incident.

The mother of one of the students reported the claims to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District last week, saying that her daughter was taught about white privilege during a choir class and was told by an “equity teacher” that white people have no culture.

The school district is working with an “equity teacher on special assignment,” according to its website, to “interrupt any inequitable practices in school culture and curriculum and eliminate barriers to personal and academic success.

“As a parent of a choir student, having outside instruction regarding white privilege with the choir students was incredibly hurtful, demeaning, and demeaning to many students in the class,” the woman said on September 12. “It not only created division and confusion between the students, but it was also incorrect information.”

She added: “During this, the teacher’s discussion with the class, she stated that white people had no culture and any culture that they did have was stolen. She gave inaccurate information that the students could quickly google and figure out that was wrong.” She said the U.S. number one condiment is not “salsa,” as the teacher apparently claimed, and that the number one American dish is hamburgers, and not “chicken tikka masala.”

The mom asked for the district to investigate the incident and “rectify it.” She also called for more parents’ involvement in the teaching at the school district.

“It is apparent that there are things that are being taught to our children where the district or the school does not provide a necessary opt-in or opt-out form for parents,” said the woman.

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