The Left hasn’t given up on “woke math.”
In a statement, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) criticized President Trump’s decision to end the teaching of “critical race theory” within the federal government, asserting that math “inherently carries human biases.”
“It is time for all members of our profession to acknowledge that mathematics is created by humans and therefore inherently carries human biases,” the statement reads. “Until this occurs, our community and our students cannot reach full potential. Reaching this potential in mathematics relies upon the academy and higher education engaging in critical, challenging, sometimes uncomfortable conversations about the detrimental effects of race and racism on our community.”
“The time is now to move mathematics and education forward in pursuit of justice,” MAA declares.
Further, the organization called critical race theory “an established social science inquiry which is grounded in decades of scholarship,” and made the case that it is “misguided, at best, to reduce this theory to the race-blaming of white people and to define it and the discussion of systemic racism as a ‘divisive concept.’”
The statement even argued that math and science are inherently political: “Although mathematics, science, and higher education develop fact-based theories and practices that should inform policy, they are also political because they exist within a highly politicized system. Acknowledging that the United States has serious systemic discrimination has somehow leaped from a political issue to a partisan issue.”
Critical race theory is a social science framework that proposes that white supremacy is maintained over time through the law, and it looks at ways to free society from this alleged supremacy. It is often applied in corporate or academic settings in the form of mandatory “trainings” in which white people are told how they have “benefited” from racism and that “hard work” reflects a destructive “white male culture,” and that whites must therefore spend their lifetime apologizing to nonwhites for any success they have in life.
Heritage Foundation fellow Christopher Rufo described in detail the nature of some of these trainings:
To wit, the “trainers claim that ‘white male culture’ leads to ‘lowered quality of life at work and home, reduced life expectancy, unproductive relationships, and high stress,’” Rufo relates. “It also forces this ‘white male standard’ on women and minorities.”
Later in the seminar, Rufo also writes, “the white males must publicly recite a series of ‘white privilege statements’ and ‘male privilege statements.’ They must accept their complicity in the white male system and their role in creating oppressions.”
“Finally, as the reeducation camp concludes, the white males must write letters ‘directed to white women, people of color, and other groups regarding the meaning of this Caucus experience,’” Rufo continues. “They apologize for their ‘privilege’ and pledge to become ‘better [allies].’”
President Trump gave the directive to end critical race theory instruction in the federal government last month, a change announced by Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought, who said the trainings “sow division and racism.”
In Virginia, the Loudoun County Public School system planned to implement a new speech code that would punish any teacher who might criticize the system’s critical race theory inspired racial equity plan. Thankfully, the plan has been momentarily paused due to an outpouring of parent concern.
According to Hans Bader, a former attorney for the Department of Education, the new policy effectively bans the district’s teachers’ right to free speech, at least as it concerns possible disagreements with Loudoun County School District.
“This is also a viewpoint-based vague restriction on speech, punishing disagreement with the County’s ‘views’ and ‘positions,’” Bader wrote.
The MAA’s argument that critical race theory is needed because mathematics is driven by “white supremacy” is not new. Leftists have long gone so far as to state that the notion that 2+2 always equals 4 is based on white supremacy and that it can sometimes equal 5.
The Left also says that things such as “objective thinking” and notions like “hard work is the key to success” are signs of “whiteness.”
