No new teachers in East Orange sign pledge on April 21 to teach Critical Race Theory

By West Essex News

Apr 23, 2022

There were no new teachers in East Orange who signed the pledge on April 21, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by no teachers on April 20, the day before. It now has five 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, "I stand with every educator being muzzled by fear" and "All stories should he heard".

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 in East Orange who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

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.
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.
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.