The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 17, the day before. It now has 21 pledges from Boston 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 Boston teachers included, "I believe the true history of this country is the only history to be taught to students: that Europeans came here and deliberately destroyed, enslaved and colonized indigenous people of the Americas and enslaved Africans and brought them here. The wealth and culture of this nation was build by African people through violence, murder and rape by the ruling white people. This perpetual violence of Indigenous and African people was justified, hidden, and whitewashed in order to maintain the illegal and immoral system of slavery, Jim Crow and incarceration to this day. We white Americans have never reckoned with, apologized for or otherwise faced our culpability in systemic racism and in fact fight back violently every time Black, Brown or Indigenous people gain any power or suggest that we are in fact racist and culpable in systemic racism and oppression. If we can't face this awful truth, nothing will change and we will never be able to be a democratic, fair or just society" and "The laws against Critical Race theory constitute illegal censorship and a dangerous misunderstanding of the study of race. Teachers must be enabled and supported to teach history accurately and to discuss race in their classrooms".
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 |
|---|---|
| Aine Cook | No comment |
| Amber Lowe | Children have the right to know the truth, they can understand the complexities of history (and present day), and they have the capacity to think critically about it and make their own meaning and understandings about the world they live in and how they want to impact and change that world. |
| Carrie Preston | The laws against Critical Race theory constitute illegal censorship and a dangerous misunderstanding of the study of race. Teachers must be enabled and supported to teach history accurately and to discuss race in their classrooms. |
| Catherine Arnold | More accurate understandings regarding the legacy that we have all been handed and carry within us as people living in this country are integrally tied to young people becoming better future participants in our national community---participants who are able to engage with clear-eyed, more fulsome understandings of the experiences of our nation’s many diverse stakeholders and the many and diverse issues and needs that make up the fabric of relevant concerns that each of us must be equipped to address as constituents of this nation. These understandings are essential for students to be adequately prepared to advocate for a U.S. democracy that values truth and equality, and pursues liberty and justice for all. |
| Ellen Devoe | No comment |
| Holly Hennick-Marroquin | No comment |
| Judi Freeman | No comment |
| Judi Freeman | our students deserve nothing less than the truth and the tools to confront this history. |
| Kate Morton | Children have a right to the truth. How can we expect them to make good choices for the future if we lie to them about the past? |
| Kelli Serbin | No comment |
| Linda Sprague Martinez | No comment |
| Michael Berger | I believe the true history of this country is the only history to be taught to students: that Europeans came here and deliberately destroyed, enslaved and colonized indigenous people of the Americas and enslaved Africans and brought them here. The wealth and culture of this nation was build by African people through violence, murder and rape by the ruling white people. This perpetual violence of Indigenous and African people was justified, hidden, and whitewashed in order to maintain the illegal and immoral system of slavery, Jim Crow and incarceration to this day. We white Americans have never reckoned with, apologized for or otherwise faced our culpability in systemic racism and in fact fight back violently every time Black, Brown or Indigenous people gain any power or suggest that we are in fact racist and culpable in systemic racism and oppression. If we can't face this awful truth, nothing will change and we will never be able to be a democratic, fair or just society. |
| Michael Berger | Truth matters. We cannot understand today's inequalities without knowing what got us to our current state of systemic racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia. We white people have continually used violence and systems of oppression to maintain our power. If we want our country to improve, we have to face our sins and listen to and uplift all the voices we oppress. |
| Michelle McElwaine | I respect young people, and the future is important to all of us. |
| Nicole Uhre-Balk | No comment |
| Peggy Volcy | I want my students to know the truth so they can be better people for the future! |
| Renee Spencer | No comment |
| Roody Jocelyn | provide identity and show students models of responsible behavior, as well as teaching them how to learn from their mistakes. Students must understand how our society is changing and developing. If we don't teach our children the truth, they won’t be able to connect with history, then the consequences for our society could be disastrous. |
| Sanaz Mobasseri | No comment |
| Scott Rush | My students have often discussed the importance of having open and at times uncomfortable conversations about our history. To quote James Baldwin, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. |
| Sheila Holland | Our students deserve to be taught facts, so they can form their own opinions based on them. Politicians need to stop fearing the truth - and stop fear mongering among the public. The truth gets out anyway; trying to hide it will only turn the youth against them in the long run. Besides, how can today's young - tomorrow's leaders - make good decisions without facts? It cannot be done. But the truth will set all of us free. |
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