The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 8, the day before. It now has six pledges from San Leandro 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 San Leandro teachers included, "Sankofa, tells us you must look back to see where you are going. In order to move to a collective future where everyone can thrive, the truth of the past is necessary. We can't get to freedom without first acknowledging truth" and "estudiantes merecen saber la verdad de nuestra historia para aprender de los ancestros, no cometer los mismos errores, y crear un futuro donde cada persona tiene el derecho de vivir una vida libre, sin opresión o violencia".
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 |
|---|---|
| Belen Magers | I care about teaching the truth of our history to our youth. Social justice and equity should be part of our youth’s education always. We can’t be bullied; we can’t be silenced. |
| Edward Mejia-Sarate | We’ve got two years to right this ship! |
| Irazema Guerrero | estudiantes merecen saber la verdad de nuestra historia para aprender de los ancestros, no cometer los mismos errores, y crear un futuro donde cada persona tiene el derecho de vivir una vida libre, sin opresión o violencia. |
| Kirsten Hansen | I remember when I finally learned the real history and felt utter betrayal from my educators. I don’t want students to feel that anger about their own learning. |
| Marissa Pienaar | Sankofa, tells us you must look back to see where you are going. In order to move to a collective future where everyone can thrive, the truth of the past is necessary. We can't get to freedom without first acknowledging truth. |
| Saul Schultheis-Gerry | Freedom and truth is everything! |
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