The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 31, the day before. It now has four pledges from East Orange 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 East Orange teachers included, "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" and "I stand with every educator being muzzled by fear".
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 |
|---|---|
| Andrew Yamakaitis | The truth needs to be taught every single day |
| Maisha Fisher | I stand with every educator being muzzled by fear. |
| Olivia Johnstone | All stories should he heard. |
| 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. |
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