An activist education group launched a petition encouraging teachers to teach critical race theory (CRT) regardless of the law, and some trolls participated in the initiative.
Zinn Education Project garnered more than 4,200 signatures for its “Pledge to Teach the Truth: Despite New State Bills Against It,” which was posted on Monday.
Zinn Education Project purports to “introduce students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of United States history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula.”
The pledge was created to counter the numerous states that have passed bills targeting CRT in public schools and universities.
“Lawmakers in at least 15 states are attempting to pass legislation that would require teachers to lie to students about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and oppression throughout U.S. history,” the pledge said.
Six states have already banned schools from compelling students to adopt the ideas found in CRT, promoting “divisive concepts,” or teaching that individuals are inherently oppressive because of their race.
“From police violence, to the prison system, to the wealth gap, to maternal mortality rates, to housing, to education and beyond, the major institutions and systems of our country are deeply infected with anti-Blackness and its intersection with other forms of oppression,” the pledge continued.
“We the undersigned educators will not be bullied. We will continue our commitment to develop critical thinking that supports students to better understand problems in our society, and to develop collective solutions to those problems,” the pledge added.
Although many people who signed the pledge appeared to earnestly support its mission, some signatories weren’t so serious.
“Jenn B Wokester” said that “White people in particular need to be brainwashed by CRT so we can dismantle western civilization and replace it with a Woke Totalitarian Revolution we will force y’all to eat soy and watch the handmaidens tale.”
Another person said, seemingly sarcastically: “Children need to learn there is nothing more important about an individual than the color of their skin and the historical ramifications of caste system they were born into.”
Someone who signed under the name of “Joseph Goebbels DE,” the name of the Nazi minister of propaganda, said “Zis MOVEMENT fulfils mein life werk!”
“Yall NeedtoLear”” said, in part: “Yall Needtolearn that teaching CRT is teaching racism. You can teach the truth without belittling and segregating your students by skin color.”
Other signatories expressed the perceived urgency of “anti-racism” and CRT in the classroom.
“Our historical amnesia, especially with respect to Black history, is shameful. Anti-racist education is urgently needed,” Mark Roudané wrote.
Governor Ron DeSantis denounces critical race theory—calling it a “race-based version of Marxist ideology”—and has banned it from the state curriculum.
DeSantis has put down a marker: there will be no state-sanctioned racism in the State of Florida.pic.twitter.com/ZxlejFiC3O
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) May 1, 2021
CRT holds that America is fundamentally racist, yet teaches individuals to view every social interaction and person in terms of race. Its adherents pursue “antiracism” through the end of merit, objective truth and the adoption of race-based policies.
Public schools across the country have implemented features of CRT instruction into their classrooms, often without informing parents or the community. Some teachers have said they plan to ignore the ban, and have suggested there is no way for schools to prevent them from doing so.
Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas have all passed bills targeting CRT. The bills do not prevent educators from teaching about racism and slavery in American history, but some educators have expressed concern over the little direction on what is appropriate for the classroom. (RELATED: Here’s What’s Actually In The GOP’s Anti-Critical Race Theory Bills)