The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 23, the day before. It now has two pledges from DeKalb 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 DeKalb teachers included, "Knowledge is power; people in privilege have been trying forever to ensure knowledge is NOT shared. This has to change!" and "Students are the future and therefore deserve to learn the truth about the past to inform their thoughts about the present. Equipped with truth they can better lead us towards liberty for all".
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 |
---|---|
Alissa Campbell | Students are the future and therefore deserve to learn the truth about the past to inform their thoughts about the present. Equipped with truth they can better lead us towards liberty for all. |
Natalie Young | Knowledge is power; people in privilege have been trying forever to ensure knowledge is NOT shared. This has to change! |