Founder Of BLM In St. Paul Who Quit Group: They’re ‘Racist’ Against Black Children Because They Oppose School Choice

Rashard Turner, the founder of a Black Lives Matter chapter in St. Paul, Minnesota, who later quit the group, told Fox News on Wednesday morning that the organization was “racist” against black children because they opposed school choice.

Turner said in a viral video late last week that his decision to leave the group was prompted by their stances on education. “I learned they had little concern for rebuilding black families, and they cared even less about improving the quality of education for students in Minneapolis,” he said. “That was made clear when they publicly denounced charter schools alongside the teachers union. … The moratorium on charter schools does not support rebuilding the black family. But it does create barriers to a better education for black children.”

In a Fox News interview, Turner said that the moratorium on charter schools was “a direct attack on black families” and “on black children.”

“They’ve been co-opted by teachers unions, specifically at the national level, the American Federation of Teachers, and here locally in Minnesota, Education Minnesota,” Turner said. “These teachers unions own the Democrats, they own BLM, and teachers unions, in my opinion, they kill our children’s hopes and dreams. So, if we’re thinking about black children doing what’s best for black families, we have to start with education.”

“I mean, there’s no way on earth, after these two past school years, that folks can think that things like education savings accounts, aren’t going to be good for families,” Turner later added. “I’ll tell you, there’s not one black family in my neighborhood here in St. Paul, that has said, ‘Hey, we don’t want that money to follow our child.’ Anyone who’s in opposition to school choice, charter schools, you’re right, I’d say they’re a racist. Because we know that charter schools are creating opportunities, we know that that money that is supposed to be educating our children.”

WATCH:

TRANSCRIPT:

JILIAN MELE, FOX NEWS HOST: The founder of a Black Lives Matter chapter in St. Paul, Minnesota, revealing why he quit the organization and the newly published video.

TODD PIRO, FOX NEWS HOST: Rashard Turner saying he learned the quote ‘ugly truth about BLM’ and that the leadership shows a little concern for promoting the welfare of black lives. And he joins us now. Rashad, thank you so much for being here. Look, I think we can all agree the lives of black people matter, if you don’t agree with that statement, you’re a racist, but the organization BLM, what is the ugly truth that you discovered?

RASHARD TURNER, FORMER BLM ACTIVIST: Well I think you hit it on the head right there. Alright, when you call for a moratorium on charter schools, that is a direct attack on black families, on black children. The question I always ask folks, how can black lives matter if black minds don’t matter?

MELE: So the organization raised $90 million in 2020. And I’m curious where that money is going. And if that money is going to help black families to help black children?

TURNER: Well, I’ll tell you this, we here in Minnesota, we’ve got worst in nation education gaps. And you know, based on the data, where we have tons of schools where four out of five kids cannot read, I would say that money’s not coming to Minnesota, alright? If we had $90 million, heck children will be up here reading, our schools would be better. But let me add something here. When you think about that $90 million, where it comes from, BLM has been co-opted. They’ve been co-opted by teachers unions, specifically at the national level, the American Federation of Teachers, and here locally in Minnesota, Education Minnesota. These teachers unions own the Democrats, they own BLM, and teachers unions, in my opinion, they kill our children’s hopes and dreams. So, if we’re thinking about black children doing what’s best for black families, we have to start with education. Yeah, there’s not a disparity in this country that doesn’t begin with folks not being able to read. So black lives really matter. We must start in that classroom.

PIRO: I mean, that’s the crux of this right? For decades, blacks have been prevented from getting the same quality education as whites. It’s a fact, it’s reality. Why does the education system though, seem to be allowed to suppress blacks like it does?

TURNER: Well, it’s the teachers unions. I can’t say it enough. Here in Minnesota, Education Minnesota is 94% white, yet they walk around acting like they’re so woke, that they understand what’s best for black children, right? But they own our education system. They spend about $30-$50 million a year here in Minnesota to control what our politicians are doing. I don’t know if folks have been paying attention to what our, you know, I don’t even know what to call him these days, but Governor Tim Walz here in Minnesota hasn’t done one thing. And that’s because teachers unions control him. We have to start listening to parents. I mean, there’s no way on earth, after these two past school years, that folks can think that things like education savings accounts, aren’t going to be good for families. I’ll tell you, there’s not one black family in my neighborhood here in St. Paul, that has said, ‘Hey, we don’t want that money to follow our child.’ Anyone who’s in opposition to school choice, charter schools, you’re right, I’d say they’re a racist. Because we know that charter schools are creating opportunities, we know that that money that is supposed to be educating our children. That’s not happening here in Minnesota, we spend the most money, you know, top states in this country, on what we spend on education. However, our outcomes don’t show that we’re spending millions upon millions of dollars, trying to educate children.

The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member.