Educational Thoughts

As many in our school community will remember, on June 1, 2020, I attended a Black Lives Matter rally in Auckland. Thousands had gathered in solidarity with the protests happening in the United States following the death of George Floyd. I also went, but unlike most others, I attended wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat. It was a conscious decision to take a stand in a space where such a stand was not welcome.

The reaction was swift and intense. Within hours, photos of me circulated online, news articles appeared, and my name became a headline. Some demanded I lose my job as a teacher. Others threatened to physically harm me. There were even calls for my teaching license to be revoked and an official investigation into my conduct. For months afterward, I faced interviews, investigations, and a great deal of public hostility.

Five years on, I look back on that day as a defining moment. Not because I sought attention or controversy, but because I acted according to conscience, bound by my allegiance to Christ and my commitment to truth. This article is a reflection on that event and what I have learned since then.

I remain thankful I made the stand I did, because in the years since, much has changed. Black Lives Matter as an organization and movement has been thoroughly discredited. Its ideological roots in Critical Theory have been exposed, and its fruit has proven destructive.

This reflection is not about reliving an old controversy for its own sake, but about acknowledging how that moment shaped me, prepared me for future trials, and confirmed for me what Scripture teaches: that Christ is King and His people must never bow to cultural idols, no matter how popular they may appear.

Why I Wore the MAGA Hat

Looking back, my decision to wear the MAGA hat and attend the rally was rooted in a rejection of the ideology driving the Black Lives Matter movement. For years prior to 2020, I had studied and taught about the dangers of Critical Theory, an insidious worldview that divides society into categories of oppressors and oppressed and demands allegiance to its ever-changing moral code. I could see clearly that BLM was one of the most prominent vehicles for spreading this ideology, and I wanted to confront it.

My goal that day was to talk to people about justice and to push back on the false narratives being promoted. I believe in justice because I believe in God’s Word, which commands us to love our neighbour, uphold righteousness, and reject partiality. But BLM’s “social justice” is not biblical justice. It is a politicised distortion that undermines the family, pits groups against each other, and ultimately stands opposed to the gospel.

I wore the MAGA hat primarily so no one would mistake me as being there in solidarity with BLM. Without it, I could have been seen as another supporter endorsing their message, which I absolutely did not. The hat was not about Donald Trump so much as it was a symbol of refusal. A way of visibly saying, “I do not bow to your cultural idols or your ideological coercion.”

At the time, I knew this would make me a target. I knew it would provoke strong reactions. But conscience demanded it. I could not stand by silently while a destructive ideology was being championed as the only acceptable perspective.

Five Years On – Reflections and Outcomes

Five years on, it is remarkable how much has changed. In 2020, to question the Black Lives Matter movement was to invite public outrage, accusations of racism, and in my case, an attempt to have me removed from my profession. But now, BLM has been thoroughly exposed.

The information that has come out since then paints a picture of deep corruption and hypocrisy. Millions of dollars in donations were channelled into lavish homes and luxury lifestyles for BLM leaders rather than helping black communities. Internal whistle-blowers have exposed financial mismanagement and outright fraud within the organisation. Cities that embraced BLM’s call to defund the police saw surging crime rates and record numbers of black victims, undermining the very message BLM claimed to champion.

The grand narratives that drove the protests in 2020 have also collapsed. We were told that systemic racism was woven into the very fabric of society, that police were “hunting down” minorities, and that silence was violence. Yet data and sober reflection have exposed how much of this was driven by media sensationalism and ideological bias rather than fact. What was sold as a moral reckoning has since been revealed as a politically motivated cultural revolution.

Society as a whole has shifted. People have become more aware of “wokeness” and are pushing back on its excesses. Many who once proudly marched in solidarity with BLM now openly question what they were supporting. Personally, I have seen people who were present at that Auckland rally, people who shouted at me for wearing the hat, completely reverse their position. Some now stand with me in opposing all things BLM and rejecting the ideology it represents.

The attempt to cancel me back then failed. The complaints to have my teaching license removed collapsed under scrutiny, and what was meant to destroy me has only strengthened me. In hindsight, I am deeply thankful I took the stand I did, because the truth has come out. BLM has been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

Standing Firm and Training the Next Generation

In the years since that day, I have not only continued teaching but have had the privilege of leading a Year 13 course on Critical Theory for the past two years. It has been one of the great joys of my teaching career to help students understand the ideological roots of movements like BLM, to show them why these worldviews are so destructive, and to equip them to stand firm in truth. Watching students connect the dots, recognise the deficiencies of these ideologies, and embrace a biblical understanding of justice has been deeply rewarding.

Looking back, I feel thoroughly vindicated in my stance. What was once mocked and vilified has proven true. While Critical Theory is not yet defeated, increasingly, people are seeing the chinks in the armour. They are realising the hollow nature of this idol, which promises justice but delivers only bitterness and division. The façade is cracking, and more people are willing to question what once seemed untouchable.

At the end of the day, Christ is still King. His Word still defines justice, truth, and righteousness. The world will always present its idols and demand our allegiance, but Christians must never bow. That is what I sought to embody on June 1, 2020, and it remains my commitment today: to stand for truth, to train the next generation to do the same, and to trust Christ as He builds His Kingdom, which no cultural storm can ever overthrow.