No new teachers in Durham sign pledge on Jan. 10 to teach Critical Race Theory

There were no new teachers in Durham who signed the pledge on Jan. 10, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has nine pledges from Durham 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 Durham teachers included, “I never learned complete history in school and I refuse to keep my kids from knowing truth” and “We deserve to live in a society rooted in truth and liberation. Whitewashing our country’s history will not get us there”.

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.”