There are nearly 14,000 public school districts in America who collectively educate approximately 55 million students. “Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not part of the curriculum or standards of any K-12 American school district” asserts Jeanne Dyches, a CRT expert and Iowa State University professor of education (personal communication, Oct. 18). The public school CRT hoax and disinformation campaign was created by Christopher F. Rufo, senior fellow of Koch Brothers’ Manhattan Institute.
What’s the history behind CRT? Its roots began in the 1970′s where law classes like Critical Legal Studies were taught to prospective lawyers. CRT became a component of the course and continues to educate lawyers to address the role of racism for their ensuing law practice and endeavor to eliminate racism (American Bar Association, Jan. 11).
Only gullible parents and legislators – who didn’t check their sources – are raising hell in school board meetings and in state legislatures over a concept that only exists, in their mind, because someone with their political preference told them a falsehood; they are lemmings at heart.
Even Mr. Rufo admits to his CRT scheme. His March 15 tweet said, “We have successfully frozen their brand – critical race theory – into the public conversation and are steadily driving up negative perceptions. We will eventually turn it toxic, as we put all of the various cultural insanities under that brand strategy. The goal is to have the public read something crazy in the newspaper and immediately think `critical race theory.’ We have decodified the term and will recodify it to annex the entire race of cultural constructions that are unpopular with Americans” (https://twitter.com).
Ponder who is touting the CRT conspiracy being taught in public schools and ask yourself if their platitudes are fair and balanced: Fox News, The Daily Wire, Breitbart, Newsmax, Koch Brothers’ Americans for Prosperity, Center for Renewing America, Freedom Works, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), The Heritage Action Foundation, Faith and Freedom Coalition, and White Christian Nationalists.
Americans may recall on Sept. 22, 2020, former president Donald Trump (Rep.) signed Executive Order 13950 banning the use of CRT by federal departments and contractors in diversity training. A federal judge knew the truth and overturned Trump’s fictitious executive order (USA Today, Dec. 23, 2020). President Joe Biden (Dem.) formally rescinded the order the first day he took office. But, by then, CRT was part of the right-wing conservative’s fraudulent campaign.
It is well known there are more than 20 high-profile conservative organizations, including ALEC, who GOP legislators purposely copycat their proposed legislation – word-for-word – into law (Triple Pundit, July 21). In the spring of 2021, Republicans from 26 states were duped and deceived into introducing ALEC’s supported anti-CRT legislation.
Republican legislators and GOP Governors from the following eight states got sucked in – hook, line and sinker – and signed into law the CRT ban in public K-12 schools: Arizona, Iowa, Indiana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas (Understanding the Attacks on Teaching, Aug. 5).
Conservative lawmakers, Governors and the GOP have seen “early on that their caricatures of curriculum for racial and gender justice could indeed serve as a hot-button culture war . . . mobilizing the Republican base that will influence not only the 2022 midterm elections . . . but also the less visible elections to control school boards” (ibed).
With Nov. 2 being the date to elect school board members, beware of candidates who are touting the ban of CRT in K-12 as they have proven they didn’t do their homework and are false prophets. Also let your GOP legislators and Governor know your thoughts on them and their constituents being hoodwinked with the disinformation, misinformation and false public school CRT curriculum campaign.
Steve Corbin, Emeritus Professor of Marketing, University of Northern Iowa and freelance writer who received no remuneration, funding or endorsement from any for-profit business, not-for-profit organization, Political Action Committee or political party