Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers

American Enterprise Institute Web event — Rescuing American history from revisionists and race hustlers Welcome and introduction: Robert Doar, President, AEI Panel discussion Panelists: Stephanie Deutsch, Author Wilfred Reilly, Assistant Professor, Kentucky State University Robert L. Woodson Sr., President, Woodson Center Moderator: Ian Rowe, Resident Fellow, AEI Thursday, May 20, 2021 7:00–8:00 p.m. Event page: https://www.aei.org/events/rescuing-american-history-from- revisionists-and-race-hustlers/ Robert Doar: Good evening everyone. I’m Robert Doar, president of AEI, and I’m very pleased to welcome you to tonight’s event celebrating the release of a new book, “Red, White, and Black: Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers.” This volume, produced by the Woodson Center’s 1776 Unites campaign and edited by Robert Woodson, features essays that seek to offer a more complete picture of the African American experience by acknowledging struggles but also recognizing successes. The current narrative on race and American history in the popular media and in many of our schools tells a narrow story focused increasingly on oppression and discrimination. “Red, White, and Black,” tells a more complete story of black American history. And in so doing, it demonstrates the rich variety of perspectives and achievements in the black American community. These essays show that although there is a need to be honest about our nation’s shortcomings, progress has been built on courage, work, creativity, intelligence and on aspiration, faith, and hope. These are the same lessons that have underpinned 40 years of work at the Woodson Center in finding local solutions to poverty in low-income neighborhoods across the country. Now here is where I want to pause a moment and offer a special welcome to Bob Woodson, one of tonight’s panelists and the editor of the volume. Bob’s determined work made this entire project possible. Now, many years ago, before he founded what would become the Woodson Center, Bob was an AEI scholar. But he left here to go on to greater things. And few have done more to help low-income Americans live successful and flourishing lives. He has continued to operate in the world of ideas, of course, but he has also operated in the world of action, making a real and positive impact on the lives of individuals all across America. Bob knows that, as is true for all Americans who work to make better lives for themselves and their children, individual agency and self-determination have been and will continue to be a defining feature of the black experience in America. Now the essays in “Red, White and Black” reflect these values and the spirit of the Woodson Center’s 1776 Unites Initiative. To begin this discussion, let me introduce tonight’s moderator, Ian Rowe. Ian is a resident fellow here at AEI where his work focuses on the importance of education and family formation in the fight for upward mobility. Before coming to us, he served as CEO of Public Prep, a nonprofit network of public charter schools based in the south Bronx in the lower east side of Manhattan. And when he was in that capacity, he came here, and we did a wonderful event with two of really one of his most remarkable students. And it was really a great day for AEI. It’s not often that we have ninth graders and 12th graders on the stage, but it’s good to have it happen every once in a while. Ian is now launching Vertex Partnership Academies, a new network of character-based international baccalaureate high schools opening in the Bronx in 2022. Ian’s writings can be found in major outlets like The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Post. He is also a senior visiting fellow at the Woodson Center and a writer for the 1776 Unites Campaign. Like Bob Woodson, Ian operates in both the world of ideas and the world of action. So without further ado, Ian, take it away. Thank you. Ian Rowe: Thank you, Robert, and I can’t wait to get into our panel. As Robert said, my name is Ian Rowe. I am a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. And I’m also one of the founders of 1776 Unites and one of the essayists in “Red, White, and Black.” But tonight the hat that I’m wearing most prominently is that of someone who runs schools. As Robert said, I’m launching a new network of character-based international baccalaureate high schools to open in the Bronx in 2022. And for the last 10 years, I ran a network of public elementary and middle schools in the heart of the South Bronx and the lower eastside of Manhattan. We had more than 2,000 students, primarily low-income students, primarily black and Hispanic. But all kids of parents who wanted their kids to live the American dream. They knew that their kids would likely face some type of discrimination in their lives, but they chose our schools because they wanted their children to develop the skills and habits to become agents of their own uplift and build a better life, even in the face of structural barriers. This background is important because what young people believe about their possibilities in the present is very much influenced by what they understand was achieved in the past. It’s important that our kids have a complete understanding of our nation’s history, warts and all. They need to know that they live in a good, if not great, country, one that is not hostile to their dreams. And they also need to know that millions of kids of all races have embraced the founding ideals around family, faith, hard work, entrepreneurship, education to move from persecution to prosperity. So that’s why it’s so exciting tonight that we’re discussing a new book “Red, White, and Black: Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers.” Bob, I can’t wait to talk to you about why you chose that title. And let me just read to you from the opening dedication. “No nation is perfect but America more than any other is a place where people from every imaginable background have been able to pursue their dreams and realize their potential. Americans have never met a problem we were afraid to tackle or a challenge we can’t overcome together. In fact, those of us who have faced the most formidable challenges in life often become our strongest leaders and our greatest patriots. This is as true of black Americans as it is anyone else. During the worst of Jim Crow, we built thriving communities full of families, churches, businesses, and countless civic institutions. On the very soil where we once toiled in forced labor, we found the seeds of our liberation. At a time when many are trying to pull us apart by stoking grievances and sowing discord, the overwhelming majority of Americans remain devoted to our founding principles and to one another. And this book is dedicated to those countless millions who love our country despite its flaws and long to live together in peace.” And so we’ve got a great panel discussion. First, we’re joined by Robert Woodson. And as Robert Doar alluded to, for more than 40 years, Bob has been an influential leader on issues of poverty, alleviation, and empowering disadvantaged communities to become agents of their own uplift. Bob is the author of several books including “On the Road to Economic Freedom,” “The Triumphs of Joseph,” and now is the senior editor of “Red, White, and Black.” We’re also joined by the amazing Stephanie Deutsch. Stephanie is an author who followed her interest in biography to study the life of her husband’s great-grandfather, Julius Rosenwald, which helped her develop a strong interest in the life of Booker T. Washington and African American history. Stephanie is the author of “You Need a Schoolhouse,” where she relates the remarkable story which she’ll tell us about of how Booker T. Washington, the founder of Tuskegee Institute, and Julius Rosenwald, the then president of Sears Roebuck, met in 1911 at a Chicago luncheon and proceeded to build nearly 5,000 schools in the segregated south. And finally, we’re joined by Dr. Wilfred Reilly, author, political scientist, and as I like to say, a truth-teller. Dr. Reilly is an associate professor of political science at Kentucky State University, a historically black college. He’s the author of two great books, “Taboo” and “Hate Crime Hoax.” If you’re looking for an interesting Twitter feed to follow, Dr. Reilly regularly publishes views that frequently contrast with the dominant narrative, but it’s always backed by solid data. So let’s get into it. I’m very excited to have this discussion. And Bob, let me start with you. The book is entitled “Red, White, and Black” with the subtitle “Rescuing American History from Revisionists and Race Hustlers.” That’s a pretty provocative title. What was the impetus behind that name and tell us why this whole thing is so important? Robert L. Woodson Sr.: OK. Before doing so, I’d like to again thank Robert Doar for inviting me. I spent five years at AEI. I came as a practitioner with little appreciation for policy that I realized that winners and losers in the marketplace are determined by the rules of the game. So therefore, policymakers set the rules of the game. And so by spending five years here, I was able to blend policy with practice and come up with new policies and better practice.

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