"Anti-white" librarian professional development curriculum exposed | Wake GOP Convention recap | Raleigh Police sued over tasing death
No. 64 — Mar. 17-Mar. 23, 2024
EXPOSED: "Anti-White" professional development curriculum for created by UNC and WCPSS
A tweet from activist and media personality Robby Starbuck this week exposed a "racial equity" focused professional development curriculum created by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University, and the Wake County Public School System starting in 2016.
According to the website for "Project READY: Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth", the project is "focused on racial equity and culturally sustaining pedagogy". The target of this professional development curriculum is "school librarians and other educators". Although I could not find a whole lot of information, this curriculum does appear to be used in the Wake County Public School System.
The objectionable parts of the curriculum Starbuck highlighted include a module entitled "Unpacking Whiteness" which includes the following claims about "Whiteness":
WHAT IS WHITENESS?
As you’ve worked through the previous modules you’ve learned that:
White is a socially constructed category of “race” with no biological/scientific foundation;
The racial category white only exists in relation to other racial categories;
The racial category white was created by white power holders to codify the superiority of white people over others; and
The definition of white has changed over time and has been (and continues to be) determined by the people in power.
In a video included in this module, the speaker laments that "the vast majority of white people don't see themselves as being part of a white supremacist system", and concludes that "there is a lot of work to be done to encourage white people to actually be uncomfortable in acknowledging their own white supremacy".
The module also point to a website, "White Accomplices", which it refers to as "a great tool for moving from understanding to action". The website, titled "Opportunities for White People in the Fight for Racial Justice" includes a link to a spreadsheet which Starbuck characterizes as "basically a list of extremely far left, sometimes openly Marxist orgs that young white students are encouraged to join" which is "one of many pipelines schools have built to turn college kids into political activists after psychologically manipulating them with racist garbage".
Wake GOP Convention Recap
Less than a week before the Wake County Republican Party Convention, the Wake GOP Chairman Steve Bergstrom announced the removal of the majority of the party's Executive Committee (the region chairs/vice chairs and the club/auxiliary presidents):
With this context, the Wake GOP Convention on Tuesday night was particularly acrimonious. The first "business" session was dominated by the efforts of delegates seeking to get the removed Executive Committee members reinstated, by having the convention vote to elect them.
I'm not familiar enough with parliamentary procedure to weigh in on the specifics of the motions made or the fairness of opinions issued during this period, but the net result was that the status quo was maintained; the Executive Committee members were not reinstated.
After a period of rally-type speeches, the convention got back to business, with the convention chair announcing that one of two proposed changes to the Wake GOP's Plan of Organization would be considered. I think it's safe to assume that it was party chair Bergstrom's proposed change that was to be considered (as outlined in the article above).
However, before the change could be officially proposed, a delegate moved to adjourn the convention. After a tallied vote of ~110 to ~80, the convention was adjourned before any change to the Plan of Organization was even considered.
All in all, neither "side" scored a major victory. Chairman Steve Bergstrom was unable to follow through on his removal of regional chairs/vice-chairs and club presidents from the Executive Committee by making these changes permanent in the county Plan of Organization.
Bergstrom's opponents were unable to get the removed Executive Committee members restored, or modify the PO to make it unequivocally consistent with the state plan while maintaining the same makeup.
Federal lawsuit filed in death of man who died attempting to escape Raleigh Police
Attorney Ben Crump Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit on Behalf of the Family of Darryl Tyree Williams - Ben Crump press release
Lawsuit says Raleigh police tased man 6 times before he died. Police say it was just 3. - N&O
Family of Darryl Williams is seeking $25 million in lawsuit against city of Raleigh - ABC11
Lawsuit: Darryl Williams was stunned by police six times during fatal arrest - WRAL
Mother of Raleigh man who died after being stunned by police files federal lawsuit - CBS17
Family files wrongful death suit after man died during 2023 arrest in Raleigh - Spectrum News
The family of Darryl Williams, a man who died in Raleigh Police custody in January 2023, have filed a civil rights lawsuit for $25 million dollars. The family's legal representation include Ben Crump, known for representing the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Jacob Blake, as well as Dawn Blagrove, an attorney with Emancipate NC.
For background, here's what I wrote on the incident last year:
In the early morning hours of January 17th, Darryl Williams died of a heart attack after being tased three times by Raleigh Police officers. Williams was attempting to escape on foot after a “proactive patrol” stop apparently discovered alcohol and marijuana in Williams’ car, as well as cocaine on his person. Video shows that despite being tased in the back and falling to the ground, Williams managed to throw off three police officers on top of him and make a break for it (Williams was reportedly over six feet tall and weighed 311 pounds). The officers managed to get him back down and tased him twice more in “drive stun” mode as Williams complained of a heart condition before falling unconscious. Medical treatment on the scene was unsuccessful, and Williams was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital by EMS.
An autopsy report released by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner this week ruled the death of Darryl Williams a homicide. Tasers are known to have a risk of cardiac arrest, and Williams had multiple exacerbating factors including cocaine intoxication, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Misc. Links:
Another NC journalist who covered January 6 Capitol breach faces prosecution - Carolina Journal
NC State swimmer sues NCAA over Title IX - Carolina Journal