The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has one pledge from Cedar Falls teacher.
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.
The Cedar Falls teacher wrote "History is not a patriotic parade. The United States became a powerful and rich country because of its workers, mostly paid low wages, or in servitude, or slavery. History is often not very pleasant, but it isn't some fairytale to make you feel good or a way to justify inequality. The truth needs to be told, not suppressed. The ignorance of the Republican Iowa legislature on black history is remarkable." when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Patrick Ashwood | History is not a patriotic parade. The United States became a powerful and rich country because of its workers, mostly paid low wages, or in servitude, or slavery. History is often not very pleasant, but it isn't some fairytale to make you feel good or a way to justify inequality. The truth needs to be told, not suppressed. The ignorance of the Republican Iowa legislature on black history is remarkable. |
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