University of Minnesota’s Ethnic Studies Classes Under Fire
A recent report by an advocacy group claims that the University of Minnesota’s Race and Gender Center is providing ethnic studies classes for K-12 teachers that emphasize various left-leaning causes. These include defunding the police, supporting Black Lives Matter, and addressing issues related to “white supremacy” and “settler colonialism.”
The report focuses on RIDGS, a center at the university responsible for creating educational materials for Minnesota schools. The watchdog group, Defending Education, highlights that these classes cover topics like Black Lives Matter, the death of George Floyd, “radical capitalism,” and “settler colonialism.” RIDGS’ Ethnic Studies Initiative states on its site that it collaborates with K-12 educators to meet their immediate and long-term needs.
Course assignments reportedly encourage students to produce “protest art” for a cause of their choosing, including prompts like “create liberatory art aimed at making people feel safe in spaces where they are neither safe nor welcome.”
Optional themes for student projects could include “Black Lives Matter,” “People Before Wealth,” “Defund the Police,” and “Give All Power to the People.” There’s also a Social Identity Wheel Activity aimed at helping students understand their identities, whether they identify as “privileged” or “marginalized.”
A Minnesota law passed in 2023 mandates that school districts offer ethnic studies at the high school level by the 2026-27 school year, with lessons for elementary and middle schools to follow by 2027-28. The state is currently working on an implementation plan, which will likely involve the University of Minnesota.
Paul Ranko, a senior director at the K-12 Program for Educational Defense, expressed concern over the initiative, stating, “It’s troubling that the University of Minnesota is directly engaging K-12 teachers and students on such ideological concepts as the guiding principles of the Black Lives Matter movement.” He suggested that this approach transcends merely teaching history or culture, aiming instead to impose a particular worldview in classrooms.
This isn’t the first time the University of Minnesota has been criticized for its perceived leftist ideology. In 2023, professor Melanie Yazzie referred to efforts to “dismantle” and “decolonize” America during pro-Palestinian events. Emails obtained through a FOIA request revealed faculty discussing anti-Israel protests and using terms like “genocide” to describe the situation in Israel.
A university spokesperson affirmed the institution’s commitment to academic freedom but did not clarify how the ethnic studies program would be evaluated or whether parents would have the option to opt out of related lessons. Regan Dugan, a project manager at Defending Education, referred to the situation as “alarming.”
Dugan critiqued how institutions like the University of Minnesota have framed political ideals and activism as valid academic discourse, particularly questioning the focus of courses that delve into complex identity issues. She argued that the Ethnic Studies Initiative illustrates how politically charged content can seep into K-12 education, urging that encouraging slogans like “defund the police” has no place in schools.
