Carson Launches Education Initiative to Counter Marxist Influence in Schools

Dr. Ben Carson, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Trump, has identified a significant trend among young Americans that should give conservatives reason for optimism: Generation Z is returning to religion in substantial numbers.

Speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference, Carson attributed much of this religious revival to the late Charlie Kirk’s work over the past several years. The facts support his observation. Young Americans, particularly young men, are increasingly recognizing that a nation divorced from religious values cannot maintain its greatness or provide a coherent moral framework for society.

This is not coincidental. When you strip away the foundational principles that made America exceptional, you create a vacuum that leaves young people searching for meaning. Generation Z has witnessed the logical conclusion of secular progressivism: moral relativism, identity politics, and a culture that prioritizes victimhood over achievement. Many have concluded, correctly, that this path leads nowhere productive.

Carson noted that young men are leading this return to church, with young women expected to follow. He acknowledged the genuine challenges facing young women today as they navigate decisions between career advancement and family life. His optimism regarding expanded virtual work opportunities providing better balance is well-founded, though it remains to be seen whether corporate America will embrace flexibility that allows women to pursue both motherhood and professional achievement.

The real battle, however, lies in education. Carson’s American Cornerstone Institute has launched the Little Patriots program specifically to counter what he accurately describes as Marxist influence in American schools. This is not hyperbole. The two largest teacher unions in America have consistently pushed progressive ideology that teaches children to view America through the lens of oppression rather than opportunity.

Carson’s assessment is straightforward: conservatives must reach children early, before leftist educators can indoctrinate them with victimhood narratives and anti-American sentiment. The Little Patriots program aims to reacquaint young Americans with their country’s founding principles and religious heritage before Marxist ideology takes root.

The stakes could not be higher. When education becomes indoctrination, when patriotism becomes problematic, and when religious faith becomes ridiculed, society loses its moorings. Carson recognizes this reality and is taking concrete action.

His perspective on Trump’s second term is equally noteworthy. Carson suggested that Trump’s time out of office was providential, allowing the president to analyze what worked, identify obstacles, and prepare more effectively for a second term. Whether one agrees with this theological interpretation, the practical observation holds merit. Trump enters his second term with significantly more knowledge about navigating Washington’s bureaucratic resistance.

The religious revival Carson describes represents more than personal spirituality. It reflects young Americans’ recognition that secular progressivism offers no satisfying answers to life’s fundamental questions. When your worldview reduces everything to power dynamics and oppression narratives, you end up with a generation seeking something deeper and more meaningful.

Carson’s message is clear: conservatives possess the superior argument. Religious values, constitutional principles, and American exceptionalism provide a framework that actually works. The challenge lies not in the strength of conservative ideas but in the willingness to fight as persistently as the left does for cultural influence.

If Generation Z continues this trajectory toward faith and traditional values, it could reshape American politics and culture for decades. That possibility should motivate conservatives to support initiatives like Little Patriots and to engage more actively in the educational sphere. The future depends on it.

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