There were no new teachers in East Orange who signed the pledge in June, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.
The pledge was signed by five teachers the month before. It now has five pledges from East Orange teachers by June.
They are 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.
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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Thelma Ramsey | Our students need to understand the true history of the founding of country and the damage it has done to indigenous people and enslaved Africans. |
| Olivia Johnstone | All stories should he heard. |
| Andrew Yamakaitis | The truth needs to be taught every single day |
| Maisha Fisher | I stand with every educator being muzzled by fear. |
| Rose Dumenigo | I believe that educators have the moral obligation to teach truthful and factual information. Assuming that the information is age-appropriate, is important that we share that truth regardless of whether it makes some people uncomfortable or not. Our Black and Brown students have had to feel uncomfortable for centuries hearing that they were less than and hearing some parts of the racial injustice their ancestors have experienced. It is imperative that they also hear the true and complete story of what happened in their history so that they can understand that they have a legacy of resilience and over-coming. |
