The pledge was signed by no teachers on April 19, the day before. It now has 17 pledges from New Orleans teachers.
They’re one of the thousands of US teachers pledging to continue educating students about the controversial Critical Race Theory, which explains racism is embedded in US culture and politics.
Comments from New Orleans teachers included, "The only way to dismantle oppressive systems is to expose their history and foundation *accurately*" and "My students already know about the racial and gendered issues of injustice which continue to destroy people, families, and communities in this country. It's my role to facilitate the safe discussion and dismantling of toxic racist and sexist culture through exposure to these ideas and where they come from. If we are to hope for a better tomorrow, we have to talk about the past and how it's contributed to where we stand as a broken nation today".
Though the concept was first suggested in the late 70’s, it has recently exploded as a contentious issue between the American right and left in the last two years.
Many who signed the pledge are defying state bans on the teachings. Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and South Dakota, have denounced the teachings without passing specific legislation.
In an interview with The Washington Free Beacon', Ashley Varner of the Freedom Foundation accused the Zinn Education Project of providing “left-leaning propaganda to teachers.”
| Teachers | Thoughts on Critical Race Theory |
|---|---|
| Allisyn Swift | I want children to know the full history of the United States. This is the only way that we may have a chance at some sort of healing and be able to move forward without making the same historical mistakes |
| Caitlin Vanderwolf | My students already know about the racial and gendered issues of injustice which continue to destroy people, families, and communities in this country. It's my role to facilitate the safe discussion and dismantling of toxic racist and sexist culture through exposure to these ideas and where they come from. If we are to hope for a better tomorrow, we have to talk about the past and how it's contributed to where we stand as a broken nation today. |
| Christopher Oliver | Keeping educators from teaching about the actual lived experiences of all peoples, including those who have experienced inequities, oppression, and outright violence due to their race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc. is not only wrong it is fundamentally an effort to suppress the truth to protect those in / with power and reinforce an ideology of inequality, patriarchy, and white supremacy inherent to US society. |
| Edith Ambrose | We need to teach the facts, nothing but the facts, and ALL of them--with their implications. |
| Elise Butler-Pinkham | No comment |
| Elishia McAllister | The only way to dismantle oppressive systems is to expose their history and foundation *accurately*. |
| Eric Schroeder | No comment |
| Franklin V.P. | The younger generation should be taught what the historical evidence has revealed about the impact of white racism and white nationalism on African Americans and other people of color throughout U.S. history. |
| Heather Harris | History matters. I will never participate in the silencing of truth. |
| Janell Regaldo | Children deserve to know the truth and to understand what is going on in their world. |
| Jennifer Latimer | No comment |
| Kathryn Gawor | No comment |
| Kimberly Hebert | I teach history, not propaganda. |
| Kyley Pulphus | it's outrageous that real history is NOT being taught. |
| Leigh Dekle | students deserve excellent instruction. |
| Shannon Blady | The lions deserve their pages, too. |
| Sophie Teitelbaum | teaching anything other than truth is perpetuating white supremacy. |
Alerts Sign-up