Tension continues to brew between those who endorse and those who oppose critical race theory (CRT).
On Nov. 9, Malikk Austin, an African-American who advocates implementing CRT material in schools, issued threatening statements to parents who oppose him.
The incident took place during a school board meeting in Fort Worth, Texas last week. As most parents voiced their concerns about CRT, Austin stood and said he has “1,000 soldiers ready to go…locked and loaded.”
His comments, which many viewed as a threat, come as BLM leaders threaten New York City with “riots, fire, and bloodshed,” and the pending verdict in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse compelled Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers to call the National Guard to the City of Kenosha, fearing a resurgence of the BLM-involved riots witnessed in 2020.
Watch:
Several parents who attended the board meeting shared their concerns with Fox News.
Carol Guarneri, a grandmother, said: “This gentleman was profoundly angry, he was not putting on a performance. When he made the statement that he had his thousand soldiers and they’d be back locked and loaded, it was very frightening to me.”
Guarneri also noted that Austin attended a board meeting in August in tactical gear.
On Sunday, Hollie Plemmons, a mother of three, told Fox News, “Absolutely, it made me feel threatened. I’m scared and I’m afraid he’s going to do something.”
Austin’s statement to parents at the meeting included these statements:
“For those who got an issue with this critical race theory equity, this is something I fight for, for my children.”
“How dare you come out here and talk about the things that my daddy and my grandparents went through, the lynching, the oppression, Jim Crow, and my kids are still being afflicted by this.”
When his closing words included the phrase, “We are not our ancestors,” Austin seemed to be acknowledging that today’s youth have a great opportunity, compared to the inequities suffered by some minority groups in the past.
When parents asked why Austin was addressing the crowd rather than the school board, he replied, “My First Amendment rights!”
Austin’s sharp tone contributed to why parents perceived his statement as threatening. When individuals offered to speak Austin in private, he replied, “But you’re not intelligent, you are not intelligent.”
Officers escorted Austin out of the room after he finished speaking. As he exited, he shouted, “I’ll bring my soldiers with me next time… locked and loaded.”
Plemmons was taken aback and asked, “Did you just threaten me?”
Austin replied, “Locked and loaded.”
Plemmons told Fox News that she “felt it was completely inappropriate that the board did not stop” Austin. Plemmons indicated etiquette dictates that the board president quiet inappropriate outbursts or statements.
Plemmons claimed inflammatory comments in opposition to CRT would have been silenced, and allowing Austin’s extended outburst evidenced a “double standard.”
Austin told Fox News that he was not threatening anyone. “First Amendment rights, freedom of speech, need to be implemented.”
Austin clarified that the phrase “locked and loaded” was “a term I used when I coached football. It means, ‘Prepare and get ready.’”
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