ABC’s The Wonder Years reboot has been surprisingly fair for a Hollywood show, and thus enjoyable to watch – until it wasn’t. Wednesday’s episode, “Black Teacher,” took on the sensitive topic of race and racism and did a good job of it until the very end when they took a dig at “concerned white parents” who fight to make sure what their children are learning is “fair and balanced.” And although the show is set in the ‘70s, the dig seemed to be partially aimed at white parents today who are protesting Critical Race Theory (CRT) curriculums and mask mandates in public schools across the country.
The Wonder Years It centers on the daily life of Dean Williams, an elementary student (Elisha Williams). In Wednesday’s episode, Dean is worried about having a new black teacher, Mr. Brady (Gaius Charles), because he doesn’t want his white friends to think he’s being shown any favoritism as a black student. They should also like Mr. Brady.
His friends end up being enthralled by Mr. Brady’s unique way of using parts of African culture – such as drumming and storytelling – to help them learn English, and he treats every student equally. In the end, he helps Dean learn from a mistake he made, warning that, “wanting to be liked is a dangerous thing” and that a great leader makes his own decisions “even if people won’t like him.”
Dean, feeling happy about the lesson learned, walks down the school corridor. Then, Mr. Brady overhears the parents meeting with Mr. Brady. Particularly, the show turned hateful, racist and white caricatures of white parents.
Women: Already the team was set.My son was kicked off Knowledge Bowl by my father, and it made me feel guilty.
Principal Cartwright: It’s unlikely that that was something Mr. Brady intended to do.
Mr. Brady: It was not true. I only rewarded the top performers.
Man: How about the drum that he brought with him to class? What has tribal drumming to do with English?
The Adult Dean (voiceover): White parents concerned about their children’s education have long been at the forefront for the struggle to ensure fairness and balance in our schools.It seemed like Jefferson Davis Junior High was not ready to welcome its first black teacher. Maybe Mr. Brady was not ready.
DeanThey fired you. It was the drum.
Mr. Brady: No. I was not fired. Principal Cartwright, I and I agreed Jefferson Davis was not the best fit. So I’m continuing my search for the school.
The Adult DeanIronic: A teacher who was once an embarrassment for me, is now the one I will miss most.
Mr. BradyKim says: I’m glad your next teacher of black is more black than mine.
The Adult Dean: I was fortunate to have my black African American Studies professor as my teacher after college.
We all know racism was far more prominent in the ‘70s and thankfully our culture has improved vastly since then. Thus, such racist caricatures may be appropriate for a storyline set in the ‘70s, but for the modern-day, adult Dean to sarcastically express disdain towards all white parents in general, including today’s, is shamefully racist itself. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but sadly, openly hating on white people has become the norm in our culture. And if white people speak out about it, it’s shut down by woke crowds as “white fragility” instead of truth.
The criticism is also evident that it was an insincere remark directed at parents who showed up at school board meetings and protests across the country recently to oppose CRT agendas. However, many of those parents, especially the ones who have gone viral, are people of color, so the criticism is completely unwarranted. But when has Hollywood ever let truth get in the way of pushing their agenda?
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