Parents across the U.S. should not assume that their local district is immune to these trends. The new political education is spreading everywhere.
There are many problems with Critical Race Theory. I will address only a few of such problems:
1). Critical Race Theory is a racist doctrine that is being incorporated into the classroom to do nothing more than perpetuate racism, division, suspicion, and hatred among our next generation of American citizens.
2). Critical Race Theory is a policy that amounts to INDOCTRINATION in the public school system. The school system was never meant to be a place that indoctrinates our children; it was never meant to supplant the role of the parents or the family in the upbringing of their children or the impressions of their minds. The role - the ONLY role - of the school system is to provide children an honest and accurate education.
3). A Critical Race Theory Plan (or whatever the name they choose to give it) transforms the primary goal of a teacher - from basic education to mind control. It gives teachers too much opportunity to shape a student's views on social and political issues rather than being one who strictly instructs in the core subjects. Again,
"whoever controls the education of our children controls the future." How does it become the school's job to perpetuate racism and teach children to
"view problems and issues through the lens of race?"
4). Critical Race Theory has no place in our taxpayer-funded schools. All white people are not racists and hardly anyone is a white supremacist, and not all black people are oppressed and discriminated against. How dare our public schools teach racism to our children (again, while they are still at a vulnerable age). The truth is that success in life is based on a lot of things, such as a stable home life, having two committed parents, study habits, ambition, support from parents, who the child associates with, morals and values, peer pressure, drug usage, access to technology, and yes, even religion.... but the color of one's skin isn't really one of them. How can we ever hope to teach true equality to our children and take pride in the fact that we have been able to overcome discrimination and segregation over the many years by all legal and constitutional means possible when we plan to teach that it will never be possible because of structural racism. We can't have it both ways.
(5) Mr. Derrick Wilburn, the founder and Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Black Conservatives, and a devout Christian, addressed a local school board regarding Race and Critical Race Theory on August 12 and made the perfect case against racism and against the incorporation of Critical Race Theory in the school system. These were his remarks:
"I'd like to begin my comments this evening by reading a quote which, in essence, is the genesis of the whole black lives matter, critical race theory, social justice discussions we are having in our country today. Quote: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." Colin Kaepernick, 2016.
I am the direct descendant of the North American slave trade. Both my parents are black, all four of my grandparents are black, all eight of my great grandparents were black, all 16 of my great great greats were black. On my mother's side, my ancestors were enslaved in Alabama, and on my father's side, my ancestors were enslaved in Texas. I am not oppressed. I'm not oppressed, and I'm not a victim. I'm either oppressed nor a victim.
I travel all across this country of ours, and I check into hotels and I fly commercially, and I walk into retail establishments, and I order food in restaurants. I go wherever I want whenever I want. I am treated with kindness, dignity, and respect literally from coast to coast.
I have three children. They are not oppressed either, although they are victims. I've taught my children they are victims of three things: their own ignorance, their own laziness, and their own poor decision making. That is all.
We are not victims of America. We are not victims of some unseen 190-year-old force that floats around in the ether. Putting Critical Race Theory into our classrooms is taking our nation in the wrong direction. Racism in America would, by and large, be dead today if it were not for certain people and institutions keeping it on life support. And sadly, sadly, very sadly, one of those institutions is the American education system.
I can think of nothing more damaging to a society than to tell a baby born today that she has grievances against another baby born today simply because of what their ancestors may have done two centuries ago. There is simply no point in doing that to our children. And putting Critical Race Theory into our classrooms, in part, does that. Putting Critical Race Theory into our classrooms is not combating racism; it is fanning the flames of what little embers are left. I encourage you to support this resolution. LET RACISM DIE THE DEATH IT DESERVES."
As the group Parents Defending Education says:
"We are so proud to defend what we do, because it is simple. We believe that schools should teach children that the child that they are sitting next to, no matter their color, their religion, or their identity, is a person just like them, and that they are their friend, and we need to be nice to them."
(6). The teaching of Critical Race Theory is unconstitutional according to several constitutional principles and theories. It violates the Fourteenth Amendment ("Equal Protection" Clause), the First Amendment (
"compelled speech"), and violates the NC state constitution as well (Article I, sections 1, 5, 14, 19). Additionally, CRT is inconsistent with civil rights laws, specifically the Civil Rights Act (1964). Finally, it is inconsistent with the key phrase in the Declaration of Independence -
"all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights."
According to the legal opinion of Montana's Attorney General, teaching a theory that holds whites are inherently racist and blacks are systemically discriminated against by them is unconstitutional (Equal Protection Clause) and violates the federal Civil Rights law. For that reason, he believes there is comprehensive justification for banning teaching the theory in schools. And 25 other states agree. They've introduced bills or taken other steps to prevent CRT from being taught in their public schools.
CRT clearly discriminates
"on the basis of race, color, or national origin," in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and various sections (Article I) of the NC constitution. Training programs, teachings, or assignments which force students or employees to admit, accept, affirm, or support controversial concepts such as privilege, culpability, identity, or status, constitute
"compelled speech," which is something the First Amendment forbids the government from forcing people to do.
If a public institution such as a school tries to restrict people's speech or behavior, it may be also a First Amendment violation.
But don't think that concerned parents haven't become
"mamma bears" over this issue and that concerned citizens haven't joined in for the fight against the dishonest and perverse indoctrination of our next generation. As of the end of August of this year, statistics tell their story:
- Eight states (Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Iowa, New Hampshire, Arizona, and South Carolina) have passed legislation. Interestingly though, none of these state bills actually mention the words "critical race theory" explicitly, with the exception of Idaho.
- The legislations mostly ban the discussion, training, and/or orientation that the U.S. is inherently racist as well as any discussions about conscious and unconscious bias, privilege, discrimination, and oppression. These parameters also extend beyond race to include gender lectures and discussions.
- Nearly 20 additional states have introduced or plan to introduce similar legislation.
- North Carolina attempted to pass such a bill - TWICE - and finally did on May 12 of this year (H.B. 324) but Governor Roy Cooper, acting against the voice and will of the people, vetoed it.
- State reps in Montana and South Dakota have denounced teaching concepts associated with CRT.
- The state school boards in Florida, Georgia, Utah, and Oklahoma introduced new guidelines barring CRT-related discussions.
- Local school boards in Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia also criticized CRT. (Opposition continues to grow)
You can find a summary of this legislation, we well as a summary of the actions of state school boards and local school boards against CRT, at the end of the article referenced at this link: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/07/02/why-are-states-banning-critical-race-theory/
Meanwhile, back in August, a group of Republican attorneys general from 20 states sent the Biden administration a 10-page letter chastising federal officials for using two grant programs as
"a thinly veiled attempt at bringing into our states' classrooms the deeply-flawed and controversial teachings of Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project."
On Capitol Hill, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) is trying to prevent the Biden administration from forcing the U.S. military from incorporating elements of what he characterizes as critical race theory in its training programs and 30 House Republicans, led by North Carolina's own Rep. Dan Bishop, have also signed onto an effort to ban Critical Race Theory from training for the armed services and federal employees.
The origins of these push-back efforts go back to President Donald Trump, who warned about the implementation of such a divisive policy during his final months in office, in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer. The Trump administration called CRT
"un-American" and sought to ban its influence from the federal government.
Critical Race Theory has become adopted by almost every and any agency or department, or group, that associates itself with public education as well as with the government. For example, the APA (American Psychology Association) has this statement on its homepage:
"On October 29, 2021, the APA Council of Representatives passed three resolutions which include acknowledging and apologizing for APA's role in promoting and perpetuating racism and racial discrimination in the U.S.; the role of psychology and APA in dismantling systemic racism in the U.S.; and advancing health equity in psychology." [ https://www.apa.org/about/apa/addressing-racism ]
Have the collective lost their minds? Sanity apparently has left the country.
