NC Republican Convention: Robinson blasts 'bloated' education system, 'sickening' diversity initiatives (2024)

GREENSBORO — Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson is pledging to strike down diversity initiatives and overhaul what he branded as the state’s “bloated, disjointed” educational system if he is elected governor.

Robinson, a 55-year-old native of Greensboro who now lives in Colfax, made the remarks on Saturday evening during the North Carolina Republican Convention at the Koury Convention Center.

The GOP’s gubernatorial nominee headlined the party's Old North State Dinner on the third day of the convention, following remarks from other Republicans seeking statewide office as well as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Robinson is often associated with his views on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and abortion. He has referred to hom*osexuality and transgender identity as “filth.” An ardent critic of abortion rights, Robinson has expressed regret over paying for his now-wife Yolanda to undergo the procedure prior to their marriage.

But the lieutenant governor told the hundreds of Republican delegates and officials that those issues would not be the focus of his campaign.

“As much as they’d like for this election to be about transgender issues, as much as they’d like for it to be about abortion, I can tell you this: The campaign for governor run by Mark Robinson will be about the substantive issues that all North Carolinians face,” Robinson said. “We will highlight the success of the Republican Party while pointing out the failures of the Democratic Party.”

Robinson said the difference between he and his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Josh Stein, was that he belonged to “a losing team,” which had created a bad business climate and depleted public resources. In contrast, Robinson said he and Republicans who have held power since 2010 were part of "a winning team," which has led to an economic turnaround in the state.

Some of Robinson’s most pointed remarks concerned the state's educational system, which he described as being in shambles. While praising the work of teachers and saying they are not paid well and treated poorly, he criticized the State Board of Education, which includes a majority appointed by Democratic governors, as “wrongheaded and headed in the wrong direction."

Said Robinson: Our standards are full of (Critical Race Theory). Our standards are full of (diversity, equity and inclusion). They do not give the proper direction to the local agencies that they need. That’s got to be changed."

He told the crowd it would be changed if elected.

“When I take office in January, this is what I get to do: I get to flip that board, not upside down but right side up."

He pledged to appoint conservatives who would ensure a focus on what Robinson called "classical education" focused on core subjects like math, English and grammar.

While he did no go into detail about Republican efforts to expand school vouchers, Robinson said he would work to “give parents the right to choose their children’s educational destiny.”

“These all-powerful bureaucrats who think they know more than you, know your children better than you, believe that it’s OK to feed your children a steady diet of Communism and p*rnography— they’re not right,” Robinson said.

Robinson’s criticism of diversity initiatives went beyond just education. He said he found such efforts to be “absolutely sickening.”

He received a standing ovation when he told the crowd about his message to supporters of diversity, equity and inclusion: “I don’t need your help. I need you to get out of my way.”

Additional applause came when he suggested a new type of DEI: discipline, excellence and intelligence.

Robinson pledged he would eliminate diversity requirements throughout the state.

“I’m going to go through every document in North Carolina’s government, all of them," he said. "When I find DEI, I’m going scratch them out— with a red pen.”