The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 7, the day before. It now has 16 pledges from Long Beach 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 Long Beach teachers included, "I will not be censored by racists and trans/homophobes who thump the bible in the name of White Fragility and white supremacy" and "Lack of access to knowledge will keep this cycle going longer than it needs to, change today leaves hope for tomorrow".
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 |
|---|---|
| Antoinette Bailey | No comment |
| Jessie Sabree | Youth deserve to know real history! Stop underestimating youth’s capacity to process information about race & gender. If they’re old enough to recognize it, they’re old enough to talk about it! |
| Joshua Aguilar | Well im signing because im a student that had taken this class and it has impacted my daily living and how i jnteract with others in a good way. So i feel if this were to stop being taught there would be a bigger problem in society. |
| Katelyn Hattery | I believe in the right for all humans! |
| Kayla Jolly | No comment |
| Liza Gesuden | it is important to tell the truth about the history of white supremacy and all forms of oppression in the United States. |
| Marisol Ibanez Tintorer | It is my responsibility to students to be a bridge to our collective histories. The CRT push back is an insult to everyone. We learn, grow, evolve when we use education to lift & not suppress the truth. |
| Raphael Sotelo | No comment |
| Rusty Rust | We cannot fix our social system without first recognizing that there is a problem. |
| Sage Larson | I feel I have a moral responsibility to teach students the truth about American history! |
| Saneya Bair | Telling the truth about history and current events is pivotal to moving towards a more just society. |
| Scott Newman | It is important for students to learn the truth about our countries origins and the past events that have led to current conditions |
| Sebastian Castillo | Lack of access to knowledge will keep this cycle going longer than it needs to, change today leaves hope for tomorrow |
| Stacey Smith-Clark | No comment |
| Viki Yamashita | I will not be censored by racists and trans/homophobes who thump the bible in the name of White Fragility and white supremacy. |
| William Goldner | No comment |
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