Teachers Unions Push Critical Race Theory – Then Deny It

We already know that ideas from Critical Race Theory (CRT), an ideology that views all of Western culture through the lens of race and racism, are being taught in schools across the country. A few weeks ago, left-leaning politicians, academics and journalists started denying that this was the case.

Now, CRT-deniers are at it again, as two teachers unions have jumped on that same bandwagon. It’s as if they’re trying to gaslight all of America. Nothing’s happening here. What CRT? You didn’t really see what you think you saw!

On July 3, the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the U.S. with about 2.3 million members, passed a resolution, Business Item 39, that would spend $127,600 to promote CRT and “fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric.”

The resolution said the NEA would “Provide an already-created in-depth study that critiques empire, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, anti-indigeneity, racism, patriarch, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, ableism, anthropocentrism, and other forms of power and oppression at the intersections of our society, and that we oppose attempts to ban critical race theory and/or The 1619 Project.”

Now, however, the NEA has removed Business Item 39 from its website. And the organization probably didn’t do so because that sentence in the resolution was so awkwardly and poorly written.

Instead, the NEA seems to be trying to hide its woke, intersectional plans for America’s school children.

Jessica Anderson, executive director at Heritage Action for America, pointed this out on Twitter, saying, “3 days after their annual meeting concludes, @NEAToday, the nation’s largest teacher’s union, scrubs the agenda items announcing their nationwide campaign to push CRT from their website. Why are they covering up their support for CRT?”

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teachers union in the U.S. with 1.7 million members, was also gaslighting parents, saying CRT was not being taught in public schools.

On July 6, AFT President Randi Weingarten spoke at the AFT TEACH Conference. She said, “Let’s be clear: Critical race theory is not taught in elementary schools or high schools. It’s a method of examination taught in law school and college that helps analyze whether systemic racism exists—and, in particular, whether it has an effect on law and public policy. But culture warriors are labeling any discussion of race, racism or discrimination as CRT to try to make it toxic. They are bullying teachers and trying to stop us from teaching students accurate history.”

Weingarten repeated the statement in a tweet, saying. “#CriticalRaceTheory is not taught in K-12 schools.

Weingarten made this wild accusation without citing anyone who opposes CRT. Where are those who don’t want “any discussion of race, racism or discrimination” or who are trying to keep students from being taught “accurate history”? Teachers often tell students to cite their sources.

Those who oppose CRT have real concerns about some of its basic tenets and its skewed view of history. Looking at history through only one lens – racism – is reductionist, flawed and damaging.

Ironically, Weingarten likened legislative efforts to ban CRT to “memory laws” from the Soviet Union and “other repressive regimes.” Perhaps she doesn’t know that CRT is rooted in Marxist ideology, which led to those repressive regimes.

At the same time she was denying this ideology was being taught to students, Weingarten told union members, “Mark my words: Our union will defend any member who gets in trouble for teaching honest history. We have a legal defense fund ready to go. And we are preparing for litigation as we speak. Teaching the truth is not radical or wrong. Distorting history and threatening educators for teaching the truth is what is truly radical and wrong.”

So nobody teaches CRT, but AFT will defend the teachers that do. Huh.

At The Federalist, Spencer Lindquist pointed out AFT’s dishonesty, citing an appearance by AFT Secretary-Treasurer Frederick Ingram’s defense of CRT on Good Morning America, less than a month ago. AFT tweeted, “Watch AFT Secretary-Treasurer @fedingram on ABC’s @GMA about how teaching critical race theory allows educators to ‘give our students the opportunity to understand the full breadth and depth of the American society.’ Watch the full clip now.”

Lindquist also pointed to another tweet from the union that reads, “Critical race theory isn’t ‘divisive.’ It’s an irreplaceable lens with which we can view our difficult history. The union also hosted a live stream with Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America and said its “goal is to get copies of this book into the hands of middle- and high-school students across the country.”

Stamped is available in Kendi’s original version, a version adapted for children, and a version for middle- and high-schoolers. Kendi has stated, “So I’ve certainly been inspired by my critical race theory and critical race theorists” and by CRT tenets such as intersectionality and structural racism.

CRT teaches children damaging and false concepts, like the idea that everything in life should be viewed through the lens of race; that all people are oppressors or oppressed, based on their “intersectional” character traits; that “whiteness” is a “property” that gives all whites special privileges; and that all of Western Civilization, including church, laws, government and families, must be “disrupted and dismantled” because of systemic racism in our past – and today.

Think this doesn’t harm children? Here’s just one example from one school. Back in January, we heard from a parent whose child was being taught concepts from CRT. She told us, “My 11-year old was in tears asking why she had to be white and what she did wrong.”