Ocasio-Cortez: Why Don’t Republicans Want to Teach Kids ‘How to Not Be Racist?’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT LEMON We ░░░░░░░░ back now with New ░░░░░░░░ congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez ░░░░░░░░ congresswoman I want to ░░░░░░░░ you about this debate ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing over ░░░░░░░░ Race Theory Do you ░░░░░░░░ Republican efforts to redefine ░░░░░░░░ and use it as ░░░░░░░░ scare tactic do you ░░░░░░░░ it working Ocasio Cortez ░░░░░░░░ I do think it ░░░░░░░░ working because what we ░░░░░░░░ seen is that the ░░░░░░░░ base and the Republican ░░░░░░░░ has really pivoted to ░░░░░░░░ strategy of using race ░░░░░░░░ using just the changing ░░░░░░░░ of this country and ░░░░░░░░ we saw on January ░░░░░░░░ using a white supremacist ░░░░░░░░ logic in order to ░░░░░░░░ a very core fear ░░░░░░░░ this country of the ░░░░░░░░ And so what is ░░░░░░░░ important is that we ░░░░░░░░ together and have a ░░░░░░░░ strong rebuttal to that ░░░░░░░░ logic not just in ░░░░░░░░ checking Republican claims but ░░░░░░░░ confronting the core logic ░░░░░░░░ addressing the core fears ░░░░░░░░ they re trying to ░░░░░░░░ tap into when they ░░░░░░░░ to use terms like ░░░░░░░░ Race Theory as a ░░░░░░░░ for just saying talking ░░░░░░░░ race in schools in ░░░░░░░░ LEMON You know in ░░░░░░░░ like Texas and elsewhere ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing bills ░░░░░░░░ teaching of Critical Race ░░░░░░░░ paired with laws making ░░░░░░░░ harder for minorities to ░░░░░░░░ Why do you think ░░░░░░░░ is being pushed at ░░░░░░░░ First of all I ░░░░░░░░ this Critical Race Theory ░░░░░░░░ to win back some ░░░░░░░░ the folks in the ░░░░░░░░ educated white people and ░░░░░░░░ best way to do ░░░░░░░░ is to give them ░░░░░░░░ about their children Ocasio ░░░░░░░░ Absolutely I think that ░░░░░░░░ certainly a strategy that ░░░░░░░░ have And in order ░░░░░░░░ do that especially at ░░░░░░░░ school level and a ░░░░░░░░ board level in some ░░░░░░░░ and municipalities is how ░░░░░░░░ can really try to ░░░░░░░░ to reanimate that base ░░░░░░░░ it s not an ░░░░░░░░ that they are using ░░░░░░░░ as the core and ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing this ░░░░░░░░ with a very strong ░░░░░░░░ to essentially disenfranchise and ░░░░░░░░ the right to vote ░░░░░░░░ well as the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ continuing to gut the ░░░░░░░░ Rights Act And when ░░░░░░░░ say how we counter ░░░░░░░░ it s not just ░░░░░░░░ checking some of those ░░░░░░░░ claims which is still ░░░░░░░░ to do Critical Race ░░░░░░░░ is not taught in ░░░░░░░░ school it s barely ░░░░░░░░ in law schools frankly ░░░░░░░░ the level that it ░░░░░░░░ be taught but beyond ░░░░░░░░ because we know Republicans ░░░░░░░░ started to now use ░░░░░░░░ these laws curtailing curriculum ░░░░░░░░ isn t being taught ░░░░░░░░ the first place as ░░░░░░░░ proxy to saying we ░░░░░░░░ t teach anything about ░░░░░░░░ in our schools beyond ░░░░░░░░ some of the most ░░░░░░░░ minimal minimal facts LEMON ░░░░░░░░ Ocasio Cortez And to ░░░░░░░░ I think LEMON Go ░░░░░░░░ finish your thought Sorry ░░░░░░░░ Cortez Well I was ░░░░░░░░ to say and to ░░░░░░░░ we should say Why ░░░░░░░░ t you want our ░░░░░░░░ to teach anti racism ░░░░░░░░ don t Republicans want ░░░░░░░░ kids to know the ░░░░░░░░ of anti racism in ░░░░░░░░ United States Why are ░░░░░░░░ trying to ban books ░░░░░░░░ this country Why are ░░░░░░░░ trying to ban speech ░░░░░░░░ are they trying to ░░░░░░░░ certain professors Why are ░░░░░░░░ attacking the core roots ░░░░░░░░ history in this country ░░░░░░░░ strays anything beyond what ░░░░░░░░ already know In fact ░░░░░░░░ have folks like Kevin ░░░░░░░░ making statements that sound ░░░░░░░░ he s never even ░░░░░░░░ Martin Luther King in ░░░░░░░░ life trying to ban ░░░░░░░░ that actually talk about ░░░░░░░░ history of the Civil ░░░░░░░░ Movement and institutional racism ░░░░░░░░ the United States So ░░░░░░░░ don t Republicans want ░░░░░░░░ to learn how to ░░░░░░░░ be racist Why don ░░░░░░░░ Republicans want kids to ░░░░░░░░ how to not be ░░░░░░░░ LEMON Well they re ░░░░░░░░ it s too young ░░░░░░░░ Cortez That s the ░░░░░░░░ that eliminates this LEMON ░░░░░░░░ say it s too ░░░░░░░░ and makes it gives ░░░░░░░░ makes white kids feel ░░░░░░░░ and gives guilt about ░░░░░░░░ white at too young ░░░░░░░░ an age that they ░░░░░░░░ t be taught that ░░░░░░░░ at all or anything ░░░░░░░░ gives them that Ocasio ░░░░░░░░ Yeah Well here is ░░░░░░░░ deal Here is something ░░░░░░░░ we know neurocognitively Babies ░░░░░░░░ exposed to family members ░░░░░░░░ et cetera of one ░░░░░░░░ their eye contact we ░░░░░░░░ know from neuroscientists neurosociology ░░░░░░░░ cetera sociologists et cetera ░░░░░░░░ babies already start to ░░░░░░░░ towards members of their ░░░░░░░░ race when they re ░░░░░░░░ exposed to just one ░░░░░░░░ in their life It ░░░░░░░░ t mean that babies ░░░░░░░░ racist but what it ░░░░░░░░ is that we already ░░░░░░░░ to gravitate towards communities ░░░░░░░░ people we know are ░░░░░░░░ acclimated to Children don ░░░░░░░░ feel guilt about racism ░░░░░░░░ they learn early on ░░░░░░░░ racism is In fact ░░░░░░░░ learn to recognize it ░░░░░░░░ can engage in corrective ░░░░░░░░ early What does feel ░░░░░░░░ are the adults that ░░░░░░░░ racism to happen in ░░░░░░░░ lives and when their ░░░░░░░░ acknowledge it better than ░░░░░░░░ lives do and so ░░░░░░░░ that I don t ░░░░░░░░ children feel guilty I ░░░░░░░░ there is a responsible ░░░░░░░░ for us to talk ░░░░░░░░ how to be peaceful ░░░░░░░░ treat each other with ░░░░░░░░ and we use and ░░░░░░░░ are using these words ░░░░░░░░ Critical Race Theory which ░░░░░░░░ is a law school ░░░░░░░░ that is not even ░░░░░░░░ in schools and their ░░░░░░░░ is well some teachers ░░░░░░░░ be exposed to it ░░░░░░░░ wow so your child ░░░░░░░░ teacher is not is ░░░░░░░░ racist and actually fluent ░░░░░░░░ how to dismantle racism ░░░░░░░░ the dynamics of racism ░░░░░░░░ a close room LEMON ░░░░░░░░ Ocasio Cortez That is ░░░░░░░░ that teachers should know ░░░░░░░░ to do and Republicans ░░░░░░░░ trying to ban this ░░░░░░░░ trying to ban us ░░░░░░░░ knowing our own history ░░░░░░░░ if we don t ░░░░░░░░ our own history then ░░░░░░░░ is easier for them ░░░░░░░░ ban it is easier ░░░░░░░░ them to curt tail ░░░░░░░░ rights to vote and ░░░░░░░░ us pack wards to ░░░░░░░░ 1960s as they have ░░░░░░░░ doing with many state ░░░░░░░░