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Education Secretary Linda McMahon declined to confirm whether she knew what the Tulsa Race Massacre was during a congressional hearing, saying that she plans to "look into it more," per HuffPost.
On Wednesday (June 4), McMahon faced questions from Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee (D) over what history lessons would be considered "illegal DEI" under the Trump administration. Trump signed an executive order in January calling on federal agencies to roll back resources from schools advancing "gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology" in their curriculum. In April, the administration requested that schools certify they weren't engaging in "illegal DEI practices" or risk losing federal funding.
“Would it be ‘illegal DEI’ for a lesson plan on the Tulsa Race Massacre?” Lee asked McMahon to clarify during Wednesday's congressional hearing.
“I’d have to get back to you on that,” McMahon said.
“Do you know what the Tulsa Race Massacre is?” Lee followed up.
“I’d like to look into it more and get back to you on it,” McMahon responded.
McMahon also failed to confirm if she knew who Ruby Bridges was when asked if lessons about the civil rights icon would be deemed “illegal DEI.”
“How about the book ‘Through My Eyes,’ by Ruby Bridges, for instance?” Lee asked.
“I haven’t read that,” McMahon responded.
“Have you learned about Ruby Bridges?” Lee said.
“If you have specific examples, you’d like to –” McMahon countered.
“That was a specific example... I named a specific book,” Lee responded.
Following the exchange, it's still unclear if the education secretary is aware of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, during which an armed white mob killed hundreds of Black people and destroyed businesses and schools in the thriving Greenwood District, or the efforts of Bridges, the first Black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. It is also unclear if the White House plans to target lessons surrounding the major historical events.
Lee emphasized that these lessons are critical for students despite the Trump administration's stance on DEI.
“Their lack of knowledge, denial of history, and open racism doesn’t mean students across America should be deprived of learning opportunities or access to a quality education,” Lee said in a statement. “Clearly they’re still needed.”
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