The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 28, the day before. It now has two pledges from Hollywood 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 Hollywood teachers included, "To understand the full breadth of what makes this country great,we must understand where we came from, what we've done wrong, and what we must still overcome. Young people must be presented with the truth of our history, that slaves have been here since the 1620s, that compromises by the government had to be cajoled, because so many were unwilling to grant native born people their rights, and finally that America still does not offer the promise that all men are created equal to all of its citizens" and "Teaching the truth about our country's history is essential. We cannot rewrite the past, nor attempt to see it through rose colored lenses. Our history is embedded in who we our as a country. It flows in the veins of every citizen, including children. In order to do better, we must be better. This can only happen when we accept who we were, what we did, and seek answers to how we can grow from here".
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 |
|---|---|
| Christopher Peraza | To understand the full breadth of what makes this country great,we must understand where we came from, what we've done wrong, and what we must still overcome. Young people must be presented with the truth of our history, that slaves have been here since the 1620s, that compromises by the government had to be cajoled, because so many were unwilling to grant native born people their rights, and finally that America still does not offer the promise that all men are created equal to all of its citizens. |
| Spector Yvonne | Teaching the truth about our country's history is essential. We cannot rewrite the past, nor attempt to see it through rose colored lenses. Our history is embedded in who we our as a country. It flows in the veins of every citizen, including children. In order to do better, we must be better. This can only happen when we accept who we were, what we did, and seek answers to how we can grow from here. |
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