The National Education Association (NEA), America’s largest teachers’ union, has committed itself to incorporating critical race theory (CRT) in grades K-12, and argues that it is “reasonable and appropriate” to use CRT in social-studies classes.
During its virtual representative assembly that was attended by 8,000 educators and featured President Joe Biden and his wife Jill as speakers, the NEA adopted the New Business Item 39 that will “share and publicize, through existing channels, information already available on critical race theory (CRT).” Critical race theory “examines” how (according to its promoters) racism pervades all and every single aspect of society, and disadvantages people of color.
Because CRT has been exposed for the racist, Marxist, and divisive indoctrination program that it is (for example, see here, here and here), the NEA, in attempt to whitewash it, wants to clarify “what it [CRT] is and what it is not” and “have a team of staffers for members who want to learn more and fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric.”
The NEA also wants to “provide an already-created, in-depth, study that critiques empire, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, anti-Indigeneity, racism, patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, ableism, anthropocentrism, and other forms of power and oppression at the intersections of our society.” That is, the NEA wants to indoctrinate students into believing that every person who is not a white, straight white man is, to some extent, a “victim of oppression.”
It is also declared that the union opposes bans on CRT and the New York Times’ “1619 Project,” developed by Nikole Hannah-Jones, which “aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the United States’ national narrative,” as described by its creators. Named for the year when the first African slaves were off-loaded in Virginia, CRT has as its central theme the idea that slavery and its effects are the central driving force in American history, the underpinning of everything from corporate capitalism to suburban sprawl.
Additionally, the resolution calls for the union to “join with Black Lives Matter at School and the Zinn Education Project to call for a rally this year on Oct. 14 — George Floyd’s birthday — as a national day of action to teach lessons about structural racism and oppression.”
The giant union pledges to publicly (through existing media) convey its support for the “accurate” and “honest” teaching of social studies topics, including “truthful” and age-appropriate accountings of “unpleasant aspects of American history,” such as slavery, the oppression and discrimination of Indigenous, black, brown, and other peoples of color, and “the continued impact this history has on our current society.”
Furthermore, amid the ongoing backlash against CRT, the NEA vowed to fight back against “rhetoric” that presumably denigrates it. The NEA claims that it is necessary to “conduct research” — i.e., dig dirt — on the organizations that oppose the CRT, and “coordinate attacks” on “anti-racist” teachers. Such institutions include a conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation and other similarly minded organizations. The effort will require an additional funding of $56,500.
Heritage Action Executive Director Jessica Anderson told The Federalist that “Woke teachers unions have been put on notice that Americans will not stand for their racist CRT ideology,” and that NEA’s “smear campaign” against her organization will “ultimately fail.”
With three million members, affiliates in 14,000 communities across America, and a $350 million annual budget, the NEA is a powerful lobbying group that has generously contributed to liberal causes, giving millions in donations to liberal groups and Democratic candidates in the 2020 election cycle, including funneling $176,649 directly to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, according to the Open Secrets website. The NEA, which counts Jill Biden among its long-time members, drew praise from the president as recently as Friday, who called it “one of America’s indispensable organizations.”
The NEA closely follows the lead of the Biden administration on promoting CRT in public education.
The administration announced in April that it wants a grant program for history and civics education to prioritize instruction that accounts for “bias, discriminatory policies in America, and the value of diverse student perspectives,” and cites a “landmark” “1619 Project” and the so-called anti-racism teachings of critical race Theorist Ibram X. Kendi, who believes that the only remedy for the racism of the past is to create a new anti-white racism of the present.
The proposed grant priorities deal with a long standing program at the U.S. Department of Education that supports innovative teaching approaches and professional development in the field — altogether, American History and Civics grants receive $5.3 million in federal funding this fiscal year, out of a roughly $74 billion budget for the department, according to the EducationWeek.
As of June 29, a total of 26 states have introduced bills or taken steps to restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism, according to an EducationWeek analysis. Nine states have enacted complete bans.
