The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 23, the day before. It now has two pledges from Queens 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 Queens teachers included, "we must continue to work to dismantle white supremacy in our nation, and teaching and learning the truth is one tool toward that end" and "teaching for Black Lives and applying a critical race analytical lens to American history is THE WORK - now more than ever".
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 |
|---|---|
| Evan O'Connell | teaching for Black Lives and applying a critical race analytical lens to American history is THE WORK - now more than ever. |
| Evan O'Connell | we must continue to work to dismantle white supremacy in our nation, and teaching and learning the truth is one tool toward that end. |
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