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Republicans at every level of politics and media have condemned critical race theory—an advanced academic framework examining the effects of 400+ years of slavery and segregation on current U.S. social and governmental institutions—is damaging to society.
They've falsely claimed that the theory is taught widely in secondary schools and that it teaches white children to hate themselves. Republican elected officials have pounced on this mass delusion, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposing the "Stop W.O.K.E. Act" and Tennessee schools mulling fines of a million dollars to districts where critical race theory is supposedly taught.
The Republican minority leader of the Rhode Island House of Representatives—Patricia Morgan—is yet another Republican lawmaker promoting critical race theory hysteria.
Earlier this year, Morgan proposed a bill to ban the teaching of "divisive concepts" in Rhode Island schools, further peddling the delusion that critical race theory teaches that white people are "bad."
On Tuesday, Morgan invoked "a Black friend" who supposedly turned "hostile and unpleasant" to her—something Morgan suggested occurred not because Morgan did anything wrong, but because of tenets she believes are taught in critical race theory.
I had a black friend. I liked her and I think she liked me, too. But now she is hostile and unpleasant. I am sure I didn't do anything to her, except be white. Is that what teachers and our political leaders really want for our society? Divide us because of our skin color? #CRT
— Patricia Morgan (@repmorgan) December 28, 2021
Morgan went on to claim that critical race theory teaches Americans to "divide us because of our skin color," rather than approaching current dynamics with the basic knowledge that history impacts the present.
Morgan's anecdote was roundly decried on social media.
How you gonna blame critical race theory when you, as an adult, started a sentence with "I had a black friend." https://t.co/n37dfX1zhY
— Hennessy Williams (@ginfueledbrat) December 28, 2021
From “The” Black friend’s coalition: Bye Patricia. https://t.co/DhNG6fpegg
— Dara Beevas (@darairene) December 28, 2021
I’d be hostile and unpleasant too if someone like this ever thought they were my friend. https://t.co/cJwA4gTOyo
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) December 28, 2021
Let’s be clear. Patricia never had a “Black friend.” If the person was REALLY ever her friend, Patricia would act like a grown ass woman and contact her “friend” to speak with her instead of posting about it on Twitter to try to make some lame point about CRT. https://t.co/OMphAAuBVO
— Hannah Drake (@HannahDrake628) December 28, 2021
Whew we got the greatest hits right here, baby! From an someone who holds an elected office!
We got: (1) the black friend trope
(2) the angry black woman trope
(3) reverse racism myth
(4) think of the children/we must save them from something that's not happening archetype https://t.co/21qn5z1Ew7
— The Light Skin Benita Butrell (@TrapThumbelina) December 28, 2021
This is absurd and all, sure, but then you realize that this woman is an elected official… https://t.co/mc7YPQw0ro
— Varun (Taylor’s Version) (@varun_santhanam) December 28, 2021
People were skeptical that Morgan "didn't do anything," as she claimed.
You did something https://t.co/7Onwi75hzN
— roxane gay (@rgay) December 28, 2021
You definitely did something other than be white, Patricia. https://t.co/xrMh66XTUh
— Susannah (@lanuovasuzy) December 28, 2021
You know, Patricia, it might actually be because you’ve introduced bills to ban critical race theory, thus proving that you are a racist, and that black friend you had doesn’t want to associate with racists.
Just spitballing here… https://t.co/Bn8KcvWBxW
— *you're (@RKJ65) December 28, 2021
Morgan's Black friend could not be reached for comment.