PBS and CNN International Amanpour and Company guest host Bianna Golodryga didn’t get the memo that Critical Race Theory is supposedly a made up GOP talking point meant to scare people, because on Monday’s show she suggested CRT is responsible for teaching America about it’s true history.
During a Juneteenth interview with African-American studies Prof. Carol Anderson, Golodryga started off innocent enough, “This is the second year now that it is commemorated as a federal holiday. How significant is that date? Is the fact that the country is now celebrating it as a federal holiday, especially for you, as an educator?”
Anderson declared “it is very significant” and even more so “Particularly, as you see states trying to erase the teaching of real American history.”
With that the segment went off the rails. Instead of fact-checking Anderson, Golodryga wondered, “What role has Critical Race Theory played in this journey to teaching Americans its racial history and its racist past, and on that road to – to-- a more racially just society.”
The correct answer would be none, but Golodryga wouldn’t have invited on anyone to give that answer. Instead, Anderson, unlike Golodryga, stayed on script “I think Critical Race Theory was a powerful and is a powerful analytical tool used in – in--legal theory.”
Anderson then proceeded to say that critics are trying to paint a false picture of history, “It is designed to create a narrative of a nation that was born fully whole and fully perfect. And so, you don't see the struggles, you don't see the inequities. You don't see the injustices.”
Again, Golodryga declined to fact check, “How divisive has that come and turned into, in terms of what we have covered over the last few years following the murder of George Floyd? The discussion at least of police reform. As we have seen more protests in the country, there was hope that finally, the country had reached a turning point in -- in -- at least handling and addressing this issue. Are you more optimistic today than you were two years ago or not as much?”
Anderson never mentioned Republicans by name, but it was clear she was inferring that today’s GOP might as well the party of Jim Crow:
What I am seeing is a consistent pattern in the U.S. where we have these moments of incredible movement forward. And then, we get this powerful backlash, particularly, in terms of violence and in terms of public policy. We saw it after – after-- the Civil War where you have reconstruction but then you have this incredible violence raining down on the black community there. Keeping them -- trying to keep them from the ballot box. Trying to keep them from – from-- owning land. Trying to keep them from engaging in their full American citizenship. We see this kind of backlash happening after The Great Migration, after the Civil Rights Movement, after the Brown decision, and after Obama. So, what we are seeing right now is yet another wave of that backlash -- what I’ve called white rage.
Only PBS and CNN could think that opposition to Obama is the same as being a violent racist.
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Here is a transcript for the June 20 show:
PBS Amanpour and Company
6/20/2022
11:34 PM ET
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: This is the second year now that it is commemorated as a federal holiday. How significant is that date? Is the fact that the country is now celebrating it as a federal holiday, especially for you, as an educator?
CAROL ANDERSON: It is very significant. What makes it so significant is that it reminds of how far we’ve come, and how much further we need to go. Having that consistent reminder is – is-- the kind of spur that this nation needs. Particularly, as you see states trying to erase the teaching of real American history.
GOLODRYGA: What role has Critical Race Theory played in this journey to teaching Americans its racial history and its racist past, and on that road to – to-- a more racially just society.
ANDERSON: I think Critical Race Theory was a powerful and is a powerful analytical tool used in – in--legal theory, but what you are seeing is the – the-- language of Critical Race Theory being used to cover the teaching of American history. The teaching of slavery, the teaching of Jim Crow, the teaching of lynching, the teaching of the Civil Rights Movement. It—it—it-- is designed to create a narrative of a nation that was born fully whole and fully perfect. And so, you don't see the struggles, you don't see the inequities. You don't see the injustices.
GOLODRYGA: How divisive has that come and turned into, in terms of what we have covered over the last few years following the murder of George Floyd? The discussion at least of police reform. As we have seen more protests in the country, there was hope that finally, the country had reached a turning point in -- in -- at least handling and addressing this issue. Are you more optimistic today than you were two years ago or not as much?
ANDERSON: What I am seeing is a consistent pattern in the U.S. where we have these moments of incredible movement forward. And then, we get this powerful backlash, particularly, in terms of violence and in terms of public policy. We saw it after – after-- the Civil War where you have reconstruction but then you have this incredible violence raining down on the black community there. Keeping them -- trying to keep them from the ballot box. Trying to keep them from – from-- owning land. Trying to keep them from engaging in their full American citizenship. We see this kind of backlash happening after The Great Migration, after the Civil Rights Movement, after the Brown decision, and after Obama. So, what we are seeing right now is yet another wave of that backlash -- what I’ve called white rage.
