The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has 11 pledges from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles teachers included, "I want to support students and not suppress their authentic voices" and "Truth matters. If we want the next generations to survive and thrive, we have a responsibility to empower them with knowledge about how we got to where we are today through an accurate inclusive accounting of history and the current state of the world".
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 |
|---|---|
| Adrian Bacong | Acknowledging our stories and the implications of past injustices is important for all of us, at every educational level. |
| Anna-Michelle McSorley | My son needs the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. |
| Carla Anne Thomas | Everyones history matters |
| Carlyn Oropez | I believe we need to empower kids and give them the tools to research topics for themselves, use critical thinking skills, see themselves and their heritage's role in our history no matter what their background is, and learn about history- the good, bad and ugly in order to make the best decisions for the future. |
| Delisa Alejandre | No comment |
| Heidi West | Truth matters. If we want the next generations to survive and thrive, we have a responsibility to empower them with knowledge about how we got to where we are today through an accurate inclusive accounting of history and the current state of the world. |
| Joanne Yi | No comment |
| Manuel Gochez | It is important for students to not get a whitewashed view of history. Teaching the truth is essential for us to create a better tomorrow. |
| Marina Reis | No comment |
| Mark Roeder | I want to support students and not suppress their authentic voices. |
| Renee Tajima-Peña | No comment |
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