(Ed.'s Note: If right-wing legislatures and state governors have their way, our children will remain ignorant of the crimes perpetuated against their ancestors by the state, its police and its judiciary system against them simply because of their race, be they Black, Native Americans or Mexicans or Mexican-American citizens. Their crime? Simply because they weren't white anglo saxons. The new move to conceal the race-based violence of the past would prohibit educating children about the Tulsa Massacre in Oklahoma where white mobs, some of them deputized, killed between 75 to 300 Blacks and destroyed 35 square blocks of black-owned businesses, or the Porvenir Massacre in West Texas where 15 unarmed Mexican men and boys – as young as 16 and old as 72 – were roused from their homes in the middle of the night and executed by Texas Rangers supported by local law enforcement and military troops and accused of being "bandits". Instead, the concealment of of their executioners will continue in the schools to protect the guilty of these atrocities and in Texas to support the myth of white supremacy through the glorification of the murderous Texas Rangers.)
By Adrian Florido
NPR
In recent weeks, Republican legislatures in roughly half a dozen states have either adopted or advanced bills purporting to take aim at the teaching of critical race theory, an academic approach that examines how race and racism function in law and society. Conservatives have made the teaching of critical race theory a rallying cry in the culture wars, calling it divisive and unpatriotic for forcing students to consider the influence of racism in situations where they might not see it otherwise.
In reality, the bills many Republicans have proposed do not directly address critical race theory. Instead, many ban the teaching of concepts that educators say they don't teach anyway.
A bill signed into law by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt bans lessons that include the concept that "one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex," that a person's "moral character is inherently determined by his or her race or sex," or that someone should feel discomfort, guilt or distress on account of their race or sex.
Nonetheless, educators say the newly adopted and proposed laws are already forcing teachers to second-guess whether they can lead students in conversations about race and structural racism that many feel are critical at a time the nation is navigating an important reckoning on those issues.
In Oklahoma City, teacher Telannia Norfar said she and her colleagues at Northwest Classen High School had planned to discuss a schoolwide approach to help students understand current events – including the murder of George Floyd, family separation at the Mexico border and the use of racist terms such as the "China virus."
"We need to do it, because our students desire it," she said. "But how do we do that without opening Oklahoma City public schools up to a lawsuit?"
This year, many teachers in Oklahoma are planning lessons on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, when hundreds of the city's Black residents were killed by white mobs. It's taken years for education officials to integrate the episode into state teaching standards.
While the new law does not ban its teaching, Lewis said it is likely to limit how much teachers feel they can dive into conversations about topics such as structural racism and white supremacy before and since the massacre.
Lewis acknowledged that in a conservative state such as Oklahoma, there are many parents – especially white ones – who support the idea of shielding their children from uncomfortable conversations about race. But she said that's why they're so important.
Similar bills have been adopted or advanced in states including Idaho, North Carolina and Tennessee.
In Texas, a bill that has passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled Legislature would impose restrictions similar to Oklahoma's, including banning public universities from requiring students to take diversity training. It would also require teachers who discuss ugly episodes in history, or controversial current events, to explore "contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective."
That bill, H.B. 3979, was written by Republican Steve Toth, who often rails against critical race theory as anti-white, anti-Christian and anti-American. His office did not respond to an interview request.
She said how and whether they'll do that is now unclear. Paula Lewis, chair of the Oklahoma City School Board, said though the state's new law bans teachers from discussing concepts they weren't discussing anyway, and though its penalties are not yet clear, the danger is the fear it instills.
"What if they say the wrong thing?" Lewis said. "What if somebody in their class during the critical thinking brings up the word oppression or systemic racism? Are they in danger? Is their job in danger?"
Lewis acknowledged that in a conservative state such as Oklahoma, there are many parents – especially white ones – who support the idea of shielding their children from uncomfortable conversations about race. But she said that's why they're so important.
Similar bills have been adopted or advanced in states including Idaho, North Carolina and Tennessee.
In Texas, a bill that has passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled Legislature would impose restrictions similar to Oklahoma's, including banning public universities from requiring students to take diversity training. It would also require teachers who discuss ugly episodes in history, or controversial current events, to explore "contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective."
That bill, H.B. 3979, was written by Republican Steve Toth, who often rails against critical race theory as anti-white, anti-Christian and anti-American. His office did not respond to an interview request.
She said how and whether they'll do that is now unclear. Paula Lewis, chair of the Oklahoma City School Board, said though the state's new law bans teachers from discussing concepts they weren't discussing anyway, and though its penalties are not yet clear, the danger is the fear it instills.
"What if they say the wrong thing?" Lewis said. "What if somebody in their class during the critical thinking brings up the word oppression or systemic racism? Are they in danger? Is their job in danger?"
15 comments:
Teachers are 99% republican that's where most of the COCOS work. At BHS in Texas History class the books tell that king and all those murderers and crooks fought the natives and build all the cities here in the valley "BUNCH OF LIES" I learned the truth at college, the books there told a different story.
I can't understand why the current administration at the WH want to give these bozos a pay raise! They don't deserve a pay raise unless they work 12 months JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!
Ooooooh I forgot its in the contract. Hahahahahahahahaha idiotas.
Whitewash is one word.
And another wetback bites the dust...
Lots of systemic racism in Browntown, but it is brown against white.
Have you ever read the bill?
In those times all pinche half cocos retards would've been hanged or shot! Hahahaha!
it was bad if you were irish or a mexican in mexico
May 29, 2021 at 12:45 PM
Idiota read the comment on May 29, 2021 at 11:58 AM, pinche coco or a stupid hillbilly
May 29, 2021 at 5:14 PM
I D I O T A !
May 29, 2021 at 5:14 PM
keep on with your violence Biden is watching your ass PENDEJO...(FBI) estupido
That new history lesson will neglect to tell you that blacks are the most racist and that they commit a dispropprtionate percentage of the hate crimes. Especially against asians. Murders as well.
Bing them back so they can get rid of the cocos
There has been ethnic conflict and violence in the history of every nation. Here we have had white on Indian, Indian on white, white on Mexican, Mexican on white, Asian on white and white on Asian and so forth. Yet, the white man is singled out and the nation declared a racist nation. What we have here is politics and not history.
So Monica Muñoz is going to teach us that 70 armed men, many from a foreign country, who come on private property in Texas without invitation and then attack what they thought was an defenseless railroad flag station are heroes just because five of bandits got killed, roped, and drug through a pasture? She never mentions Manuela Flores, a Tejana who the raiders killed with a bullet in her face because she refused to divulge information. Muñoz is just another college professor who figures out how easy it is to get federal grant money today if you act outraged about the past since everyone who was there at the time and really knows the bandits were evil is dead. Muñoz has even blamed Runyon for selling post cards with the image of the dead bandits on it, yet she's so simple she doesn't realize she wouldn't be able to raise funds for her "injustice never leaves you" foundation without her warped interpretation of the pictures. And that in one example tells you why critical race theory needs to put in trash bin with all other racist propaganda.
June 1, 2021 at 12:51 PM
Defending her and his - government checks and free housing these FAT professors have to start paying their way around stop living off the government START PAYING TAXAS bola de mamones
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