The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 25, the day before. It now has three pledges from Rock Hill 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 Rock Hill teachers included, "I care about teaching the truth about American history, not to tear down the nation but to build it stronger. Our history has to reflect the experiences of all people, not just the wealthy white ones" and "We have to face our history before we can do better. We have to teach everybody’s history".
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 |
|---|---|
| Claire Incorvati | I believe in teaching truthfully and factually to all students, regardless of how difficult that truth might be. |
| Margaret Gillikin | I care about teaching the truth about American history, not to tear down the nation but to build it stronger. Our history has to reflect the experiences of all people, not just the wealthy white ones. |
| Margaret Gillikin | We have to face our history before we can do better. We have to teach everybody’s history. |
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