Emails between Amazon and school district officials revealed that the tech giant spent $5,000 to supply Virginia public school students with “antiracist” author Ibram X. Kendi’s book, The Washington Free Beacon reported.
The book was included in a school initiative to promote black authors, according to The Washington Free Beacon. The emails were originally obtained from Asra Nomani, the vice president of an academic watchdog group called Parents Defending Education.
Amazon Funding Distribution of Ibram X. Kendi’s ‘Antiracist’ Books in Public Schools
Via @alexnester2020 and @rSanti97 https://t.co/NfTcyy6uXO
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) June 22, 2021
The emails reportedly revealed that Arron Gregory, the director of diversity and inclusion for Arlington Public Schools requested copies of Kendi’s “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” to distribute to students. Amazon reportedly donated between 500-600 copies to Wakefield High School and also financed Kendi’s coauthor, Jason Reynolds, to address students by paying him $10,000, according to the Free Beacon reported.
This was the result of Amazon employees contacting school officials in the Arlington Public School District as part of “NeighborGood,” a program to donate $100,000 to schools and other institutions that “empower black voices and serve black communities,” according to the Free Beacon. Amazon initially offered to fund the purchase of Kindles and other equipment but Gregory requested the books, the Free Beacon reported. (RELATED: Second Largest Teachers Union Encourages Members To Get ‘Enlightened’ Through Texts On ‘Antiracism’ And ‘White Fragility’)
The notion of “antiracism” has become one of the main criticisms of Critical race theory (CRT).
CRT holds that America is fundamentally racist, yet it teaches people to view every social interaction and person in terms of race. Its adherents pursue “antiracism” through the end of merit, objective truth and the adoption of race-based policies.
“Instead of donating Kindles and hot spots to students in Arlington Public Schools, Amazon chose to spread the controversial ideology of critical race theory,” the president of the watchdog group said. “The shortsighted decisions during a pandemic, with so many students vulnerable, reflect the national crisis of school districts circumventing parents to indoctrinate students—in this case, with the help of corporate America.”
