OU's Graphic Connection to the Beginnings of Woke Discrimination
Infamous Smithsonian Infographic & DEI Diversity Trainings Sourced to Work of Former OU Professor Judith Katz
Dr. James Lindsay has a rare combination of attributes that perfectly equip him for his role in our moment of history. At once, James has the intestinal fortitude to constantly live inside all of the hellish seven circles of woke ‘scholarship’ (without going nuts), the intellectual acumen to learn its tenants better than those who espouse it (without going nuts), and the discernment and communication skills necessary to identify, connect, and expose the very well hidden, power hungry, Woke manipulations for all the world to see (without going nuts).
As I have said to James many times before, were it not for him, we would all be in the proverbial tall grass - unable to see the tangled web of dogmatic ideological predators who desire nothing more than to violently rip apart, digest, and expel as excrement, the foundational principals of the American experiment. Thankfully for all of us, in a world that is increasingly monetizing quality, research based content, James is also one of the most generous individuals you will meet. If he thinks it will help the cause of bringing truth to the fore, he will share the fruits of his labor liberally.
On Friday, I received a DM from James that stands as just the latest of countless examples that prove the validity of my above assessment. During his trek into the netherworld genesis of DEI, for his upcoming Marxist Roots of DEI Workshop, James shared with me some very important information about OU’s role in the roots of Wokeness.
In the summer of 2020, an infographic made by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) hit the internet like a 10 Gig ton of bricks. Even in the direct wake of George Floyd, the infographic proved to be so controversial that the NMAAHC took it down, but not before it was preserved by internet sleuths for future review.
Why did the NMAAHC take it down?
The infographic unapologetically attempts to frame common sense, universal American values like “objective, rational linear thinking", and “Hard work is the key to success,” as blatantly negative, and directly links those American values to skin color and racism by using the terms “White Culture” or “Whiteness.” Therefore, according to the infographic, if you believe in the virtue these “white culture” you are participating in and promoting “white supremacy.” This goes double for a black person, like Larry Elder, who happens to agree with these American values. When faced with this situation, the largely white, leftist press is quick to make sure you know that Larry Elder is the “Black Face of White Supremacy.”
Column: Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You’ve been warned
You might think this infographic has to be the product of some dark blue, east/west-coast academic institution, but you would be wrong. In fact, the only source cited for the information in the infographic is the work of a former professor at The University of Oklahoma, Dr. Judith Katz.
Judith Katz, was a Professor of Human Relations at OU from 1977-1985, and during that time she wrote one of the first books recommending CRT/Antiracist/DEI ideology be put into practice in American institutions via CRT based “Anti-racism” trainings.
White Awareness: Handbook for Anti-Racism Training (University of Oklahoma Press 1978), written by former OU Human Relations Professor Judith Katz while she was teaching at OU, was the first systematic training program to address racism [using CRT ideology] from a white perspective.
But, lest you think her work ended in 1978, or even when she left OU in 1985, read these words from her biography found at the website of the organization she started in 1985, The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, which has been devoted to implanting CRT/DEI/Antiracist based diversity trainings in American institutions for the last 40 years.
“Judith Katz has distinguished herself as a thought leader, practitioner, educator, and strategist for more than 40 years. She has created new paradigms in organization development and pioneered cutting-edge approaches to white awareness, inclusion, the leveraging of differences, covert processes, and strategic change… Judith has been widely recognized for her extensive contributions. She was named a Pioneer of Diversity by Profiles in Diversity Journal in 2007 and a Legend of Diversity by the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals in 2012…
If the title sounds of Dr. Katz’ book sounds familiar, you are not the victim of internalized “white supremacy,” you are actually on to something. Both the title and content of “White Awareness” are remarkably similar to the more recent and well known New York Times Bestseller, “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo. Like Katz before her, Robin DiAngelo ventured out of academia as quickly as she could and has made a lucrative business of leading “Diversity trainings” around the country, bringing in tens of thousands of dollars an hour for her services.
In short, Judith Katz was Robin DiAngelo before Robin DiAngelo was Robin DiAngelo. In fact, it would not be hyperbole to say there would be no Robin DiAngelo without OU’s very own Judith Katz.
For those who continue to insist that OU is not as far down the depths of the hellish circles of irrational Wokeness, as other universities; that the pendulum will swing back, the simple application of some good old fashioned “hard work” would help “find success” in disproving that claim. Thus the reason grifting, woke virtue signalers like Katz, DiAngelo, and Ibram Kendi, feel the need to malign these basic, common sense, American values.
For those who continue to insist that Antiracism, DEI, and CRT are not related, the simple application of some good old fashioned “objective, rational linear thinking” immediately serves contradict that assessment. This academic lineage links CRT derived Antiracist ideology and practices to directly to the ideology and practices of OU’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and other such offices all over the country.
If leaders who claim to be against the mandated discrimination required by OU’s Division of Ideological Enforcement, actually want to do something to stop it, the first step to recovery is not just admitting OU has a problem, but admitting how long OU has had that problem. Given the objectively verifiable roots of wokeness at OU laid out here - roots that go back more than 40 years - I can say with certainty that OU has a very longstanding problem with producing, supporting, and implementing leftist authoritarian policies and practices.
The only question is, now that we know OU has had this problem for over 40 years, will these leaders finally take some decisive action to do something about it before it is too late?
J. M. Ousley, UnWokable
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-08-20/recall-candidate-larry-elder-is-a-threat-to-black-californians
https://centreforglobalinclusion.org/The-Centre/037-2021-judith-h-katz-ed-d/
https://thefederalist.com/2020/07/15/smithsonian-pushes-racist-material-claiming-white-culture-is-nuclear-family-self-reliance-being-polite/