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 Conway teachers included, "As a professor at a state university in South Carolina, I am concerned that misinformed policies and positions among our state leaders, who promise to prohibit instruction about the causes and effects of racial disparities in our country and in our state, will have a negative impact on all students. Honest history matters. And it is for this reason that I am particularly concerned that historical and cultural omissions from classroom curricula will have a disproportionate impact on our Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, and Asian students. Legislation such as SC H 3002 and SC H 4325 are examples of “curricula discrimination.”We all know how essential it is for students to recognize themselves in their own education, and we all know the importance of understanding the past in order to understand why we are where we are - as a nation, as a people, and as citizens. Inhibiting fact-based classroom instruction on matters of history and race inhibits inquiries into our identities and duties as citizens. Such curricular inhibitions amount to state-sponsored censorship and racially-motivated indoctrination, and there is no place for either in South Carolina or anywhere in the United States of America" and "Compassion and teaching that aligns with modern day society and the truth about history from a multitude of perspectives".
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 |
|---|---|
| Alicia Eberhard | Compassion and teaching that aligns with modern day society and the truth about history from a multitude of perspectives. |
| Jonelle Benton | No comment |
| Sara Rich | As a professor at a state university in South Carolina, I am concerned that misinformed policies and positions among our state leaders, who promise to prohibit instruction about the causes and effects of racial disparities in our country and in our state, will have a negative impact on all students. Honest history matters. And it is for this reason that I am particularly concerned that historical and cultural omissions from classroom curricula will have a disproportionate impact on our Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, and Asian students. Legislation such as SC H 3002 and SC H 4325 are examples of “curricula discrimination.”We all know how essential it is for students to recognize themselves in their own education, and we all know the importance of understanding the past in order to understand why we are where we are - as a nation, as a people, and as citizens. Inhibiting fact-based classroom instruction on matters of history and race inhibits inquiries into our identities and duties as citizens. Such curricular inhibitions amount to state-sponsored censorship and racially-motivated indoctrination, and there is no place for either in South Carolina or anywhere in the United States of America. |
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