Trump Nominee Casts Doubt On 'Legality' Of Black History Lessons
February 17, 2025
During her February 13 Senate confirmation hearing, Trump nominee for education secretary Linda McMahon cast doubt on the future of Black history courses in American public schools, saying she’s “not quite certain” if Black history instruction would violate an executive order banning “critical race theory in the classroom." During Biden’s presidency, some right-wing media figures called for the end of Black history curriculum, with one Fox News personality calling it a “Trojan horse.”
Black history courses in public schools may be on the chopping block
- On January 29, Trump signed an executive order blocking federal funding for schools that teach “gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom.” The executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” also reinstates the 1776 Commission, which promotes Republicans’ vision of “patriotic education." [Politico, 1/29/25; MSNBC; 1/30/25]
- While testifying before a Senate committee, McMahon declined to confirm whether public schools could still legally offer Black history courses or school clubs based on race or ethnicity. McMahon refused to give a straight answer when Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) asked if a public school could lose federal funding if it allowed identity clubs, claiming she didn’t want to address “hypothetical situations." Responding to further questioning about whether Black history courses would violate Trump’s executive order, McMahon replied, “I'm not quite certain.” [NPR, 2/13/25]
- In January 2023, right-wing media celebrated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to block the College Board’s AP African American Studies course due to its supposed lack of “educational value." DeSantis’ action came on the heels of a concentrated outrage campaign over critical race theory. [Media Matters, 1/25/23; 8/3/21]
Right-wing media have long demonized African American history lessons in public schools
- Daily Wire host Matt Walsh argued that courses on African American history should not not be offered “at all.” Walsh: “Any kind of African American history or studies, that should not be a course that is offered or presented in grade school, in public schools. It shouldn't be there at all.” [Daily Wire, The Matt Walsh Show, 1/25/23]
- Fox News host Jesse Watters said, “The Trojan horse is a Black history AP high school class." A chyron airing throughout the segment read: “AP history course stuffed with CRT.” [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 1/24/23]=
- Watters said Black history after the 1950s shouldn’t be taught because “it’s all activism." Watters: “You get to about 1960 in here and it's all activism. It's all ideology. It's no history. A good chunk is really good stuff, and then it goes into white supremacy, patriarchy, abolish the prisons, overthrow capitalism, queer theory, intersectionality." [Fox News, The Five, 1/24/23]
- Fox host Sean Hannity defended DeSantis's ban on AP African American Studies: “I think what they're trying to do is indoctrinate kids.” [Fox News, Hannity, 1/25/23]
- Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo commended DeSantis’ ban of AP African American Studies, saying that the course was “being used as a Trojan horse to push, again, ideology." He also criticized the courses as being a “disservice to our kids and to African Americans.” [Fox News, Faulkner Focus, 1/24/23]
- Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth claimed that lessons discussing Black and LGBTQ history were proof that public schools are “radicalizing your children.” Hegseth specifically complained about lessons titled, “Black Women,” “Diversity," “Black Families," and “Black Villages." [Fox News, Jesse Watters Primetime, 2/2/24]
Reprinted with permission from Media Matters.
