Be Good to Kids attacks CRT and Milwaukee teacher Angela Harris in TV ad
A shadowy group spent more than $1.7 million on television ads in Wisconsin opposing critical race theory. Some are using the Milwaukee teacher’s video out of context without her permission.
The ad aired more than 1,500 times during football games, newscasts and game shows across Wisconsin, according to a Journal Sentinel review of Federal Communications Commission records. The ad is also circulating on Hulu, but cannot be tracked publicly.
Critical race theory, the focus of the ad, is a framework for understanding how specific public policies have caused or sustained racial inequality. The ad depicts Critical Race Theory (CRT) as attempting to “divide” people by race.
Opponents of critical race theory are pushing for the elimination of programs that address racial inequality, such as the University of Wisconsin’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The organization behind the ad, Be Good To Kids LLC, has remained silent about its funders.
This ad doesn’t encourage viewers to vote for a particular candidate, so it falls into the category of political messages that don’t require the advertiser to share much about the candidate.
“It could happen to anyone,” said Sarah Breiner, director of investigative strategies at OpenSecrets, a national organization that tracks political spending. “There are biased individuals who manipulate public opinion without public accountability,” she said.
Breiner said such ads can have “incredibly political impact.” She cited anti-CRT ads that ran in Virginia in the lead-up to the election of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has made CRT a central part of his campaign.
Although the Wisconsin ads will not air during the election period, Breiner said the CRT issue could be used to support candidates in the next election.
“They’re probably trying to make it part of the conversation,” Breiner said. “They think it’s a problem they can win.”
Here’s what we know about advertising.
Who is Cory Yeshua, the man in the anti-CRT advertisement that says “Be kind to children”?
The ad opens with a 2021 TikTok video by Cory Yeshua, a conservative social media influencer who frequently opposes critical race theory.
In the video, Yeshua tells his daughter that people can “be anything in this world,” regardless of the color of their skin. Yeshua says that critical race theory is “trying to end” that way of thinking.
Who is the Milwaukee teacher in the anti-CRT ad that says “Be nice to kids”?
The longer version of the ad cuts to a 2022 TikTok video by Angela Harris, who taught at Milwaukee Public Schools’ Martin Luther King Jr. School.
The ad suggests that Harris uses critical race theory and is “trying to divide” by race.
In the video, Harris leads her students in taking the “African American Pledge.”
The school where Harris teaches is an African American immersion school with a special emphasis on African American history and culture.
This clip is just one part of Harris’ longer video of students’ morning routines, which include the Star-Spangled Pledge and a morning session called Mbongi where students talk about their values and goals for the day. It also includes meetings.
Harris said she does not teach her students about critical race theory. This pledge is an opportunity for students to honor and take pride in their heritage.
“The whole point of this pledge is that we talk about being kind to our communities, taking care of our communities, caring for each other and honoring our ancestors,” she said in an interview. “Being able to share that across generations has an impact not only on the students but also on the surrounding community.”
MPS media relations manager Stephen Davis released a statement from the district noting that the district does not teach critical race theory.
“Recently aired ads utilize video out of context and spread misinformation about Milwaukee Public Schools and its curriculum,” the statement said.
What is critical race theory?
“Critical race theory” is a term that dates back to the 1980s, when scholars were investigating why civil rights laws had failed to eliminate racial inequality. This term described their field of study, which sought to understand what went wrong in public policy and what could be done about it.
Its founding scholars (most prominently law professor Kimberly Crenshaw) believe that to create equity in the face of centuries of racially oppressive policies, policies such as affirmative action are essential. They argue that a racially conscious response is necessary. Crenshaw teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles and Columbia University School of Law.
In recent years, right-wing figures who reject this framework have stepped up campaigns against racially conscious programs, books, and classes. In Wisconsin, state lawmakers are banning education on systemic racism and dismantling the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Freedom is seeking to end scholarships and academic aid that favor students of color.
Opponents of critical race theory often advocate a “colorblind” worldview. They cite Martin Luther King Jr.’s “dream” of having children judged “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Crenshaw said that Dr. King’s words were aspirational rather than a reflection of the world, and that “King focused on system-level change and developed a racially conscious analysis of inequalities across society. “I called for a solution based on this,” he added.
Who is behind Wisconsin’s anti-CRT ads?
The ad includes text stating that it was paid by Be Good To Kids, LLC and links to the website of the same name, begoodtokids.com.
This website does not share any information about the individuals behind the groups and does not provide contact information. The domain was registered in February by Domains By Proxy, which keeps the identity of the buyer private.
Records filed with the Federal Communications Commission show the group has a post office box in Washington state and the name of Treasurer Tom Paalke. Neither Parke nor the LLC are listed in Washington or IRS formation records. Calls to a phone number listed for Pahlke were not returned.
One of the most prominent opponents of CRT, Christopher Rufo, lives in Washington state. He did not respond to inquiries from the Journal Sentinel.
An LLC with the same name is registered in Ohio. The only name listed on the LLC’s documents is David Langdon, an Ohio attorney who is also listed as the registered agent for a number of organizations involved in conservative politics.
A 2015 Politico article called Langdon “a key behind-the-scenes figure among a small army of lawyers working to keep secret the origins of the millions of dollars flowing through America’s political system.” Mr. Langdon did not respond to a voicemail from the Journal Sentinel.
Mr. Langdon’s network includes Richard Uihlein, a prominent Midwest conservative, whose Restoration Political Action Committee began sending mailboxes across Wisconsin in March in opposition to critical race theory. They were funding the delivery people. Langdon was listed as a contact for Ishin PAC in filings with the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Uihlein did not respond to an email from the Journal Sentinel asking whether he was involved in the advertisement.
Contributions to Be Good To Kids LLC may be included in future nonprofit or political action committee filings.
Michael Bureau, research director for the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks political spending in the state, said there should be more reporting requirements for issue-based political ads, which is why companies like Be Good to Kids The group said more information needs to be shared.
“It’s amazing how little we know about these groups,” Bulow says. “This is an issue of transparency because people need to know who the messenger is and be able to determine who the messenger is and the motives behind it.”
How did Milwaukee teachers react?
Harris’ video gained national attention after it was posted last year. Conservative influencers reposted the video and it went viral. Soon, she said, her school address and home address were posted on social media.
Ms. Harris was not asked or notified by Be Good to Kids LLC about the use of her video in the television ad. At first, she said, she got calls from people congratulating her for appearing in the commercial.
“I thought that was strange because I’ve never shot commercials,” she said. “Then a few more people contacted me and were like, oh, this is an anti-CRT commercial.”
Harris said the ad appeared to be intentionally created to confuse people.
“You’re literally using a three-second clip as an example of creating racial disparity, but why? Because I said something about African Americans?” Harris said.
Harris said it’s important to understand that her school is designed to provide an African American immersion environment. The MPS documentation states: “AAI, the arts, and parent and community involvement are an integral part of Dr. King School’s beloved community.”
Mr Harris said the school’s morning Mbongi routine gave students a sense of pride, especially as students took turns leading the whole school once a month.
“You can tell by the look on their faces when they stand in front of the whole school that it really means something to them,” she said.
Mr. Harris is getting messages from people saying he should be fired.
“I’ve been told things like, ‘You’re indoctrinating your kids,’ ‘You should lose your job,’ and calling me a racist,” said Harris, who is on leave due to injury. said. “I’m on vacation right now, and I’m so grateful because I don’t know if I would have been able to handle all of this and everything that I would have had to do in the classroom right now.”
Ms. Harris said her experience is emblematic of what many teachers are going through or worry about going through. She pointed to Melissa Tempel, who was fired from her Waukesha school after she posted on social media her frustration that her students weren’t allowed to sing “Rainbowland.” .
“Even if we’re doing the right thing and trying to teach our kids to be kind and inclusive and to love themselves, that doesn’t mean we’re teaching CRT television, or we’re trying to teach kids to be kind and inclusive and to love themselves. “It could be used as a way to say that we’re instilling in them,” Harris said. It’s really scary that what you say on social media or the videos you post can be used against you and slandered. ”
Contact Rory Linnaeus. rory.linnane@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter @RoryLinnane.
