The pledge was signed by no teachers on April 20, the day before. It now has three pledges from Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale teachers included, "Teach the truth. Not propaganda. Pray pray pray to God for the USA and our students future" and "I believe the truth matters. I believe that history should not be erased just because it makes some people uncomfortable. I believe that telling the truth can lead to growth, and that whitewashing history dehumanizes".
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 |
---|---|
Ed Farrell | No comment |
Shari Mauro | Teach the truth. Not propaganda. Pray pray pray to God for the USA and our students future. |
Sharon Smith | I believe the truth matters. I believe that history should not be erased just because it makes some people uncomfortable. I believe that telling the truth can lead to growth, and that whitewashing history dehumanizes. |