Carefully Taught
Illustration★★★★You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear, You’ve got to be taught from year to year, It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear— You’ve got to be carefully taught! You’ve got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made, And people whose skin is a different shade— You’ve got to be carefully taught. You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late, Before you are six or seven or eight, To hate all the people your relatives hate— You’ve got to be carefully taught. Oscar Hammerstein, 2nd
The point
Hammerstein's song: prejudice is learned by repetition and cultural modeling from early childhood. A stinging critique of racism's origins.
Scripture
Galatians 3:28Acts 10:34-35
Audience
Adults
Tone
Convicting · Challenging
To tell aloud
under a minute · 97 words