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.
The Georgetown teacher wrote "We can't be afraid of things that make us uncomfortable or things we don't understand. Hiding from uncomfortable or confusing facts won't help us. The only way forward is to learn all the facts - even the uncomfortable, embarrassing, shocking and painful ones - so we can understand the world we live in and the people we live with" when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Julie Chien | We can't be afraid of things that make us uncomfortable or things we don't understand. Hiding from uncomfortable or confusing facts won't help us. The only way forward is to learn all the facts - even the uncomfortable, embarrassing, shocking and painful ones - so we can understand the world we live in and the people we live with. |
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