Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon held a series of contentious meetings with lawmakers on Tuesday and Wednesday, appearing before Senate and House congressional committees to answer questions about the department’s future and the administration’s education policies.
One of the most tense exchanges involved a set of questions about Black history that McMahon would not answer, possibly because she was unfamiliar with the topics at hand.
Linda McMahon refuses to clarify knowledge about the Tulsa Massacre, Ruby Bridges
On Wednesday, Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., asked McMahon if “a lesson plan on the Tulsa Race Massacre” would be considered “illegal DEI” under the current administration’s policies, referring to the 1921 destruction of the Black Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, by an attacking white mob.
McMahon avoided answering the question, so Lee asked the secretary if she knew about the Tulsa Race Massacre. To this, McMahon would only respond, “I’d like to look into it more and get back to you.”
Lee asked similar questions about lessons on Ruby Bridges, a 6-year-old child in 1960 who integrated an all-white school in Louisiana. This act became one of the most iconic images of the Civil Rights Movement.
Bridges has since become an advocate and author of several books, including the autobiographical Through My Eyes, as well as children’s literature. McMahon admitted that she hadn’t read Bridges’ book, Through My Eyes, but would not clarify if she knew who Bridges was.
Trump, GOP target ‘DEI’ to whitewash history
Lee’s questions are not hypothetical, as the Trump administration’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion policies has accelerated efforts to whitewash American history. Among other moves, the military eliminated celebrations of Black History Month and other celebrations of minority groups. It targeted books on historical figures, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson, for removal. Schools across the United States have been threatened with the removal of “DEI” programs, or they will face federal funding cuts and other consequences. Bridges’ story has in the past been particularly targeted; in 2023, a Florida elementary school banned a documentary about Bridges after a parent complained that it was inappropriate because it depicted racism.
Linda McMahon displays a lack of understanding in her answers to Congress
The tense exchange with Lee was part of a larger set of questionable and embarrassing moments for McMahon in her recent congressional appearances. On Tuesday, McMahon and Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., both miscalculated the cost of a federal program for low-income college students, saying that the $1.5 billion per year program would cost $1 trillion over ten years when the actual number was obviously a much lower $15 billion. When questioned by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., about the administration’s targeting of Harvard University, McMahon provided unclear answers about whether she had any legal authorization to cut the university’s funding because of the political viewpoints of its faculty. These moments support previous concerns that McMahon, a long-time Trump associate, lacked the qualifications for the education secretary position.
With a long and growing track record of the GOP whitewashing history and targeting Black stories as “DEI,” it is crucial for leaders such as McMahon to clarify the administration’s current policies. It is equally important that those in positions to set those policies have at least some knowledge of the law and of the Black history of this country before deciding what is acceptable to teach.
