Oklahoma Postpones Teach-Through-Rap Program That Refers to Founding Fathers as 'Old Dead White Men'

[clearvision]

FOX News:

The Oklahoma City public school district is taking a second look at a plan to teach at-risk students using rap and hip-hop after receiving complaints over one lesson referring to the Founding Fathers as "old dead white men."

The program, known as Flocabulary, is an educational tool that uses rap and hip-hop music to help students learn and memorize basic principles of vocabulary, reading, writing, social studies, math and science. The district was authorized to spend $97,000 in federal funds on the program and has already spent $10,000, NewsOK.com reported.

But lyrics in the U.S. history curriculum drew complaints from about 15 teachers, the site reported.

One particularly controversial song entitled "Old Dead White Men,"describes President James Monroe's presidential term by saying: "White men getting richer than Enron. They stepping on Indians, women and blacks. Era of Good Feeling doesn't come with the facts."

"Andrew Jackson thinks he's a tough guy. Killing more Indians than there are stars in the sky. Evil wars of Florida killing the Seminoles. Saying hello, putting Creek in the hell holes. Like Adolf Hitler he had the final solution. 'No, Indians, I don't want you to live here anymore."

Flocabulary CEO and co-founder Alex Rappaport says that the lyrics are meant to keep students engaged and promote discussion.

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Flocabulary?

So will the get to go to colleges that teach with rap? Are there many businesses who are looking for rap based communication?

[cudjo]

The OKC school board doesn't have the sense God gave a goose, I couldn't believe this garbage when I first read about it, called the Bethany Schools, they said they weren't interested in having anything to do with it

[Argyle58]

These are are the lyrics to a song that Flowcabulary.com has on their site as a sample of songs available for Social Studies classes:

 

"It would take a nation of millions to hold us back.

Brown v. Board opened some doors.

Back then they called all blacks Negroes.

We kick it off of the top sort of like cerebrals.

Separate isn’t equal, when in practice.

My school is a shack. Mine is a palace!

Do I have to sit in the back of the bus? That’s wackness.

Second class citizen on account of my blackness.

They say to change the world, you’ve got to take a stand.

Rosa Parks took a seat, changed the face of the land.

Martin had a plan that even if you want to change the world

that don’t mean you’ve got to kill another man.

Inspired by the people like Thoreau and Gandhi,

a pacifist in the war without an army.

‘Cause they can’t harm me, no matter how the end seems.

I wonder if Mr. King is still having dreams…

 

Let freedom ring…

I have a dream…

Let freedom ring…

This must become true...

So let freedom ring…

 

MLK had a dream, took it mainstream.

Civil Rights Bill, Voting Rights Acts, they passed.

Modern day Jesus, turning the other cheek,

some blacks like “dog, that’s weak.

I’m not looking to get beat deep into next week,

my everyday life is police brutality.”

Malcolm picked up X and dropped his slave name,

radical change, “defense by any means.”

Went on hajj to Mecca, said ‘let God protect ya,

Whites and Blacks, yeah, we’re in this together.’

But there are race riots, people are dying,

Warfare in Watts, tear gas, bullets are flying.

So JFK?

He got assassinated.

MLK?

He got assassinated.

Malcolm X?

He got assassinated.

So it’s up to us to keep that dream alive…

 

Let freedom ring…

I have a dream…

Let freedom ring…

This must become true...

So let freedom ring...

 

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom

by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."

 

 

Real mainstream.

[Chickadee]

I agree with the aspect of using "music" to help kids learn. (The only way I learned to spell many words was to sing them rhythmically.) I detest how this new history lesson is being projected.

 

How about admitting our past errors, but emphasizing the positive aspect of our nation's history rather than the negative?

 

In the United States, whites conquered the Native American Indians as did the Spanish against the Aztecs. How do these two compare? What other cultures were conquered and how does this relate to how the countries/cultures live today?

 

All over the world, women have had to fight for their individual rights, and in many countries they are still trying. (The fight began in France.) In the US the women fought for years to gain the right to vote and it was finally won in 1913. How has this affected you in your life? (Does your mother have the right to vote and does she?)

 

President Lincoln fought for (though perhaps did not totally agree with) the freedom of the black man from the horrors of slavery. Who else fought for these rights and what were the results? How has this affected you in your life?

 

Soon after coming to this country, the colonists tried out a form of communism. How did that work out for them? Why did they abandon this concept?

 

Why did the "white man" come to this country in the first place? How can you relate to that?

 

I suppose my head is in the sand . . .

[Sanguine]

Well, isn't that special?

[Casino67]

I could imagine this in maybe Detroit, but Oklahoma City?

[Sanguine]

I could imagine this in maybe Detroit, but Oklahoma City?

 

I can see it in OK City.

[Pepper]

This is bovine droppings.

 

I can't see it anywhere. OK City or Detroit or anywhere. It should not be permitted.

 

Using tax money to pay for this garbage? Barack and Michelle have endorsed this via their not so subtle messages of racial division.

 

Sane people have had it up to here with this kind of crap.

[Valin]

Well, isn't that special?

 

 

[Sanguine]

Exactly!