‘Anti-Racism’ Guidebook Tells DC Pre-K Students to Reflect on ‘White Privilege,’ Confront ‘Racist’ Parents

Stock image showing the entrance of a classroom. Jazmine Thomas/Shutterstock

Amid a nationwide debate on critical race theory (CRT), an elementary school in Washington hosted an “anti-racist” event where young children were taught to “find white privilege in every aspect of life” and identify family members who supposedly harbor “racist beliefs.”

The “Anti-Racist Fight Club” event at Janney Elementary School was held last November, but it only recently gained media attention. According to a message to parents, the school hired “anti-racist” activist Doyin Richards to give a presentation for students in pre-K through third grade on “topics such as race and equity.”

As part of the event, each child was given a guidebook aimed to help them “continue the dialogue at school and home.” Richards calls the book a “Fistbook,” as opposed to a handbook, to better illustrate the confrontational nature of his activism.

The book (pdf) defines racism as a combination of racial prejudice and power, meaning that racial prejudice against white people does not constitute racism, since white people “are a part of a society that benefits them in almost every instance.”

“If a black person says something mean to a white person, he has no power over him,” it states. “It’s as if white people walk around with an invisible force field because they hold all of the power in America.”

Richards’ “Fistbook” moves on to discuss the concept of “white privilege,” which “simply means that your life is not more difficult due to the color of your skin.”

“It’s not your fault for having white privilege, but it is your fault if you choose to ignore it,” the book continues, adding that white privilege can be found “in almost every aspect of life.” For example, it is a privilege for white children to be able to “find people who look like you wherever you turn,” including in movies that feature mostly white characters.

The book also asks children a series of questions, such as where they “see racism” in themselves and how they plan to deal with family members who have “racist beliefs.”

“Just because someone is older than you doesn’t mean that they’re right all of the time,” it reads.

After the presentation, parents were given an adult version of the “Fistbook,” according to The Daily Caller, which first reported the matter. The book, apparently following a CRT narrative, claims that “racism is as American as apple pie and baseball.”

“As we sit here today, it is still woven into the fabric of our homes, communities, schools, government, economic system, health care, and so much more. As a matter of fact, it would be difficult to find one facet of our society where racism does not exist,” the book states. “White supremacy isn’t the shark, it’s the ocean.”

District of Columbia Public Schools, which oversees Janney Elementary, said in a statement that the guidebook for adults was not part of their curriculum and was not shared with students.

The event was met with criticism on DC Urban Moms, an anonymous online message board meant for parents, with some users alleging their children were left traumatized.

“Anyone else’s kindergarten kid freaked out by an anti-racism assembly today?” one user alleged on Nov. 30. “My kid needed to sleep with a light on and the door open tonight. Anyone know what specifically was talked about? My kid couldn’t relay much except that she was scared.”

According to Richard’s website, he has conducted more than 300 “anti-racist” workshops and trained 36,413 “new anti-racists in the world” since July 2020, the height of unrest and violence sparked by George Floyd’s death. The Caller reported that Richards charges between $10,000 and $15,000 for speaking at online events.