Republicans remain hysterical over the alleged teaching of critical race theory, which posits that current racial inequalities often presented as happenstance are inextricably linked to centuries of overt racist violence and subjugation—is the subject of the Republican party's latest moral panic.
The theory is rarely, if ever, taught outside of college classes and the very Republican legislators who oppose it are often unable to actually define what it means.
Nevertheless, Republican legislatures across a number of states are weighing or have already imposed restrictions on unvarnished teachings of America's racist history.
In states like Tennessee, school districts could be penalized with millions in fines for lessons that violate these restrictions. At the federal and state level, Republicans have supported the adoption of strictly "patriotic" teachings of history, glossing over the moral complexities and even atrocities of America's founders to present them as inherently exceptional instead.
In the final year of his presidency, Donald Trump established the 1776 commission to explore new ways of integrating so-called "patriotic education" to combat more unflinching records of America's past.
Similar efforts are now underway in communities across the nation, including in Johnston County, North Carolina, where the school board was recently forced to adopt new rules forbidding lessons acknowledging that racism is ongoing in the United States. What's more, any historical figures who contributed to American society must be presented as "reformists, innovators and heroes."
The decision came after the county's Board of Commissioners withheld millions in funding from education funding until assurances were made that no lessons on critical race theory or "potentially divisive" topics would be delivered.
Watch below.
The Johnston Co (NC) Sch Bd was just forced to adopt a new patriotic history policy, after the Bd of Commiss voted to withhold 10% of their budget. They must now teach that all people who \u201ccontributed to American society must be presented as reformists, innovators and heroes.\u201dpic.twitter.com/B5X2FwsuAA— Ron Filipkowski (@Ron Filipkowski) 1633317530
Raleigh's CBS 17 News spoke to one teacher, April Lee, about the changes.
She said:
"I just have a really hard time figuring out how to do that with characters in U.S. history like Andrew Jackson and McCarthy and several other people who made some really bad decisions along the way. ... I think it ties our hands, at least for some teachers who won't feel comfortable because they feel like they're being called into question."
Others agreed that the new rules—and the Board of Supervisors' withholding of funding—had gone too far.
Is there anyone else out there that sees the terrifying impact this type of action has on freedom of speach..hell..on freedom itself? Fascist regimes in the past have indoctrinated the masses with these methods..it's serious now folks..push back hard or lose the privilege.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— A Saner WV \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f (@A Saner WV \ud83c\udff4\u200d\u2620\ufe0f) 1633325106
Fml.\n\nIf you pass laws and regulations forbidding curriculum that educates students about racism, you are a goddamn racist.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— rabia O'chaudry (@rabia O'chaudry) 1633363812
I find this legitimately chilling. Like, actually terrifying.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— PoliticsGirl (@PoliticsGirl) 1633319347
So white wash history even more... Because they still havnt figured out what CRT is nor do they understand that its not taught to kids...https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— clint otis (@clint otis) 1633353621
Ok so I better see the hundreds if not thousands of names and unnamed black innovators and inventors that are the backbone of this country get the \u201creformists, innovators, and heroes\u201d treatment. https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— Cole A. Gibson (@Cole A. Gibson) 1633348759
Normalizing racism and slavery, history as hero worship - tiki torch assemblies next?https://twitter.com/ronfilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— Yvonne Dalschen (@Yvonne Dalschen) 1633348875
People could only imagine the alternative history the far-right would teach.
Waiting for the requirement of a new book: "Jesse Helms: Civil Rights Hero."— Norman Ornstein (@Norman Ornstein) 1633317901
"Christopher Columbus opened up trade routes from Europe to the Americas. When he was governor of Haiti, he contributed to its economic growth by encouraging the sale of nine and ten year girls as sex slaves."https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— E\u03bbf Sternberg (@E\u03bbf Sternberg) 1633368020
Charles Lindbergh, reformist and innovator? Henry Ford, champion of values? This is a propaganda edict worthy of the most idiotic authoritarian state.https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1444864561182543876\u00a0\u2026— Hussein Ibish (@Hussein Ibish) 1633351829
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