Charlie Kirk and American Education

“If I see a black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.”

“Reject feminism. Submit to your husband, Taylor [Swift]. You’re not in charge.”

“We need to have a Nuremberg-style trial for every gender-affirming clinic doctor. We need it immediately.”

“I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year to that we can have the second amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.”

“[Gay couples] are not happy just having marriage. Instead, they now want to corrupt your children.”

These are all quotes attributed to Charlie Kirk – in the past few years.

I must admit I didn’t know a lot about Kirk until he was gunned down by an assassin’s bullet in Utah recently. His death is another example of the political violence we deal with currently as Americans.

Because I didn’t know much about Kirk, I decided to do a bit of research.

The 74 recently published an article titled “How Charlie Kirk Changed Gen Z’s Politics.” The piece was written by Rachel Janfaza, the founder of The Up and Up, a qualitative research, strategy, and media firm focused on Gen Z. Janfaza writes:

“There’s been a massive effort to understand why Gen Z shifted right in the 2024 election. Part of that movement was thanks to Charlie Kirk and his work to engage young people – on and offline.”

“Whether it was his college tours or the campus debate videos he brought to the forefront of social media, he changed the way young people think about, consume and engage in political discourse.”

“Over the past few years, as I’ve conducted Gen Z listening sessions across the country, I’ve watched as freedom of speech has become a priority issue for young people, particularly on the right. The emphasis on that issue alone helped President Donald Trump make inroads with young voters in 2024, with Kirk as it biggest cheerleader. Just a few years ago, being a conservative was not welcomed on many liberal college campuses. That has changed.”

“Even on campuses he never visited, Kirk, via his massive social media profile and the resonance of his videos online, was at the center of bringing MAGA to the mainstream. Scroll TikTok or Instagram with a right-leaning college student for five minutes, and you’re likely to see one of those debate-style videos pop into their feed. Since the news broke of the attack on his life last week, I’ve heard from many young leaders – both liberal and conservative – who are distraught and shook up. The reality is that Kirk changed the game for Gen Z political involvement. Even for those who disagreed with his politics, his focus on young voters inevitably shifted how young people were considered and included in the conversation.”

“Like many of you, I’ve followed Kirk for years. Whether you aligned with his policy viewpoints or not, his influence on the conversation is undeniable. And, for young people, he was the face of the next generation for leadership in the conservative party.”

“Kirk’s assassination was the latest in a string of political violence, including the political assassination in Minnesota that took the life of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and he husband, and left state Senator John Hoffman wounded. One of the most common fears I hear from young people across the country and the political spectrum is that political division has gone too far. Last week’s shooting also coincided with a tragic school shooting in Colorado. The grave irony of all these forces coinciding – gun violence, political violence and campus violence – cannot be ignored.”

“In all of my conversations with young people, one thing is clear: they are scared.”

“After [Kirk’s shooting], I reached out to students and young people I’ve met through listening sessions with The Up and UP, as well as leaders of youth organizations that veer right of center. Others reached out via social media to comment. Here’s some of what they shared.”

“California college student Lucy Cox: ‘He was the leader of the Republican Party and the conservative movement right now especially for young people. He’s probably more famous than Trump for college students. He had divisive politics, but he never went about it in a divisive way. He’s been a part of my college experience for as long as I’ve been here. He felt like somebody I knew. His personality was so pervasive. It feels very odd that I’m never going to watch a new Charlie Kirk video again.”

…

“Ebo Entsuah, a 31-year-old from Florida: ‘Charlie has a reach most political influencers couldn’t even imagine. I didn’t agree with him on a number of things, but there’s no mistaking that he held the ear of an entire generation. When someone like that is taken from the world, the impact multiplies.”

…

“Over the summer I wrote about Gen Z’s sinking American pride. Of all generations, according to Gallup data, Gen Z’s American pride is the lowest, at just 41%. At the time, I wrote that this is not just about the constant chaos which has become so normalized for our generation. It’s more than that. It’s a complete disillusionment with U.S. politics for a generation that has grown up amid hyperpolarization and a scathing political climate. What happened last week adds a whole new layer.”

…

I can’t say I was surprised that Charlie Kirk was gunned down, or that Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot in their home this past June. I don’t agree with much Steve Bannon says, but his recent comment “We’re at war” resonated with me.

I think a lot about how I would teach some of this to young people today if I was still in the classroom. I know it must be difficult – almost impossible. Maybe we aren’t too far away from two different curriculums – one conservative, one liberal – regarding how we see the past, present, and future world.

Friday News Roundup tomorrow. SVB