The Clarksville-Montgomery County school district in Tennessee is facing significant backlash due to its “cultural competency” training asserting that “white Christians” hold privilege while labeling “people of color” and “polyamorous” individuals as oppressed.
The controversial incident unfolded at a district conference named “ENGAGE,” where the presentation titled “The World Needs More Purple People” was delivered under the banner of using Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion(DEI) principles to foster connections.
The presentation was made publicly available due to Parents Defending Education (PDE), who brought the matter to light by obtaining documents associated with the incident through a public records request.
The presentation urged participants to embrace “cultural humility” and critically examine their thoughts and behaviors and their impact on those around them. Implicit bias was also highlighted, along with a section that provided guidance on avoiding potentially triggering language. Notably, one example cited was the suggestion to refrain from making assumptions about shared experiences, such as asking the question “How did you celebrate Christmas?”
But the most striking element of the presentation included a table categorizing social identities, delineating between groups considered privileged and those regarded as oppressed. Particularly, the section addressing sexual orientation sparked controversy, as it designated heterosexual individuals as privileged while classifying LGBTQ+, polyamorous, asexual, and aromantic individuals as oppressed.
The table also claimed that while Christians have privilege, other religious beliefs such as Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, and Buddhism are “oppressed.”
A spokesperson from PDE gave a response to this presentation to Fox News Digital, stating, “When a teacher training teaches that saying the words ‘mommy’ and ‘Christmas’ can cause trauma, we know we are dealing with unserious people.”
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
