No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has one pledge from New Bern teachers by the end of the week ending Feb. 12.
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 new New Bern teacher wrote “Children need to be taught the truth. If black and brown chhildren (children of the global majority) can experience racism and survive and even thrive--white children can learn about it with no harm done.” 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. 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 |
|---|---|
| Luci Avery | Children need to be taught the truth. If black and brown chhildren (children of the global majority) can experience racism and survive and even thrive--white children can learn about it with no harm done. |
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