Tennessee Teacher’s Conference Included Woke Presentation Labeling Christians As Having Privilege

Image Credit: Parents Defending Education

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

A Tennessee school district’s professional learning conference was found to include a presentation that labeled Christians, among others, as having “privilege status.”

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School district complied with a public records request that Parents Defending Education (PDE) submitted regarding the conference entitled “Engage 23: The World Needs More Purple People.”

On page 5 of the conference materials, it seems that “purple people” use Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to “connect.”

The materials also included a handy chart for school staff and educators that classifies groups of people as either having “privilege” or “oppression.”

Anyone who is white, able-bodied, straight, Christian, male and who are either young adults or middle-aged adults from middle class or upper class backgrounds are of course “privileged” according to the chart. This leaves people of color, women, those belonging to any other religion other than Christianity, those identifying as LGBTQ+ – as well as nonbinary, genderqueer, polyamorous, asexual, aromantic – and anyone with a physical or cognitive disability, or who comes from a working class or poor background as “oppressed.”

One of the presentation’s aims was to compare “cultural competency” – being aware “of your own cultural beliefs and values” – to “cultural humility” which focuses on “self-humility” and requires the intentional examination of “our own thoughts and behaviors and how they affect those around us.” 

According to the presentation, even the very language that teachers use in a classroom may cause trauma and the authors of Engage 23 exhort educators not to say triggering phrases such as “make this for your mommy” or “how did you celebrate Christmas?”

Also included in the materials is a reading list that includes several “resources” for staff. One of these links is a primer about sexual orientation from the American Psychological Association which makes it crystal clear that public schools do not welcome biblical views on the topic. 

Another link to GLSEN’s “Safe Space Kit: Guide to Being an Ally to LGBT Students” encourages teachers to commit to respecting the “privacy” of students who “come out” to them.

A district representative told PDE that Engage 23 had a mix of content. Some materials were developed by the district itself, while others were developed by educators independent of the district. Engage 23 was one such independent presentation. In addition, educators were not required to attend and were free to choose which sessions to select.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.