The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 14, the day before. It now has two pledges from Pawtucket 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 Pawtucket teachers included, "Teaching lessons about our country's historical origins is absolutely key in helping to empower and educate our children, not only our children of color, but our white children, as well. So many stories have not been heard, and so much of history has been told from only one perspective. Our country needs change, and this is one way to launch critically-important change" and "truth matters. These laws represent the forces of white supremacy telling us to “sit down and shut up” about the reality of what is going on in our communities. As an Asian American person, these laws communicate to me that when racist attacks are happening against my people -- as they have been in record numbers for the past year -- that I should keep quiet about it. As an educator, it is important to me to help students understand truth. Denying white supremacy’s impact on our history and it’s continuing impact on our lives means ignoring reality and shirking my responsibilities as a teacher".
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 |
|---|---|
| Kyleen Carpenter | Teaching lessons about our country's historical origins is absolutely key in helping to empower and educate our children, not only our children of color, but our white children, as well. So many stories have not been heard, and so much of history has been told from only one perspective. Our country needs change, and this is one way to launch critically-important change. |
| Paul Pasaba | truth matters. These laws represent the forces of white supremacy telling us to “sit down and shut up” about the reality of what is going on in our communities. As an Asian American person, these laws communicate to me that when racist attacks are happening against my people -- as they have been in record numbers for the past year -- that I should keep quiet about it. As an educator, it is important to me to help students understand truth. Denying white supremacy’s impact on our history and it’s continuing impact on our lives means ignoring reality and shirking my responsibilities as a teacher. |
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