Earlier this year, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) came under fire when he criticized the teaching of Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race in schools. Apparently, he felt “Jesus Loves Me” was a more appropriate to be taught in schools. This was during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing when Mullin, who wouldn’t even let the people he was questioning fully answer, blurted out, “I don’t want reality.”
Not only did Mullin’s comment prove that there is some falsehood toward teaching the Bible and its hymns in schools but Mullin, like so many other Republicans, want to whitewash history. He said the book teaches students that white people are the bad people. That’s true. They are for the most part in regards to the history of this country. The book written by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli with illustrations by Isabel Roxax presents a simple view that we judge other people based on the color of our skin. And white people are taught they are superior.
Mullin, who is a junior senator and has spent the first year of his term acting like a spoiled brat of a boss’ son, may be worried that the book may make white children feel they are the bad people. But I think the book’s intended audience of ages 2-5 are probably seeing the racism that is prevalent still in America. Mullin represented the eastern district of Oklahoma as a Congressman before winning the Senate seat held by Jim Inhofe, no great civil rights advocate himself. Prior to the 2008 election, most of this area was predominantly Democrat.
But what happened in 2008? Oh, that’s right, Barack Obama was elected President. A lot of people in this area as well as in other parts of the state couldn’t have that. At the same time Mullin was making a fool of himself, Gov. Kevin Stitt is trying to undermine the strength of the Indigenous Native American tribes that make up most of the eastern part of the state. He even went as far as making a dog whistle comment that he’s trying to prevent this area from turning into another reservation.
And they don’t want this book taught in schools. I wonder why. With Ryan Walters wanting to privatize education in the state and do away with the teacher unions, Mullin may want to sit this fight out and let Stitt and Walters dig their own holes. He said he misspoke. But there’s a reason we don’t focus on many religions in schools. There’s nothing stopping schools from having student-led Christian organizations where they can sing “Jesus Loves Me,” and many, many more songs.
Our Skin is trying to teach people that we are all the same while it subtlely shows there’s been a history of racism in the past. The book doesn’t go into many details because it’s intended for young children and you don’t want to get into the Holocaust, the North American Slave Trade, Jim Crow and segregation as well the interment of Japanese immigrants and even those born in America following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I’m sure, more and more children at a younger and younger age are learning the harsher realities around them.
Most people learn racism at home. If not there, then they learn it in schools. We’ve seen vidoes of pre-schoolers and primary school kids getting along. That’s because they’re still young to not see the systemic racism we have in place. And since more and more interracial couples are having more biracial or mult-racial children, they’re seeing it more at a younger age from their own neighbors and even family members.
Our Skin is trying to prevent racism from starting in some young minds. Mullin and others don’t want that. They want the European Brad Pitt style Jesus who only has white children around him in paintings. Part of me even wonders why children need to sing, “Jesus Loves Me.” He loves everyone. That’s his thing. It’s kind of redundant to sing a song about something he should be doing anyway.
People may also have different views about religion in their households. So, therefore, making them sing “Jesus Loves Me” would go against their beliefs and they shouldn’t be forced. Maybe it’s because Mullin and others know it’s religion (and Christianity) that has helped spread racism in America and the world.
What do you think? Please comment.
Zane Says 