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THE ABSURD TIMES
CRT
– Defined
By
Honest
Charlie
Illustration:
This might help explain about half of the problem.
CRT
Defined
By
Honest
Charlie
Some of you may be tired of my insistence that a true
definition of Critical Race Theory could only be defined by someone with a
background in both Critical Theory and Race, along with my point that the only
person I could think of who had these qualifications was Angela Davis. Well, I
never was prepared to hear this last week, but I persevered it and here it is.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY
Angela
Davis: “Forces of White Supremacy” Are Behind Attacks on Teaching Critical Race
Theory
We speak to legendary
activist and scholar Angela Davis about the latest war waged by
ultraconservative lawmakers against teaching the racist history of the United
States. North Dakota’s Republican Governor Doug Burgum signed legislation
banning the teaching of critical race theory, defining it as any suggestion
that racism is systemically embedded in American society. The law prohibits
even discussion of the law in state schools. Critics say the ban also endangers
honest narratives of slavery, redlining and the civil rights movement. “What we
are witnessing are efforts on the part of the forces of white supremacy to
regain a control which they more or less had in the past,” says Davis.
Transcript
This is a rush
transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This
is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace
Report. I’m Amy Goodman.
We turn now to look at two education stories and how
right-wing forces are trying to prevent students from learning about the
climate emergency, as well as the racist history of the United States. North
Dakota’s Republican Governor Doug Burgum recently signed legislation banning
the teaching of critical race theory. Public schools are now barred from
teaching students that, quote, “racism is systemically embedded in American
society.” Critics say the law could ban the teaching of slavery, redlining and
the civil rights movement. Even discussion of the law is now prohibited in
North Dakota schools.
Well, on Thursday, I spoke with the legendary academic,
scholar, activist Angela Davis and asked her about what was happening in North
Dakota and other states across the country.
ANGELA DAVIS: I
think that what we are witnessing at this moment is a profound clash between
forces of the past and forces of the future. The campaign against teaching
critical race theory in schools — now, first of all, critical race theory
is not taught in high schools. And I wish more critical race theory were taught
at the university level. But critical race theory has become a watchword for
any conversations about racism, any effort to engage in the education of
students in our schools about the history of this country and of the Americas
and of the planet. Any discussions about slavery as the foundational element of
this country are being barred, according to the proponents of removing, quote,
“critical race theory” from the schools.
But
let’s not be misled by the term they are using. What we are witnessing are
efforts on the part of the forces of white supremacy to regain a control which
they more or less had in the past. So, I think that it is absolutely essential
to engage in the kinds of efforts to prevent them from consolidating a victory
in the realm of education. And, of course, those of us who are active in the
abolitionist movement see education as central to the process of dismantling
the prison, as central to the process of imagining new forms of safety and security
that can supplant the violence of the police.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s
the scholar and activist Angela Davis speaking Thursday. Well, on the evening
of December 7th, we hope you will join us with Angela Davis and many others for
a virtual celebration to mark Democracy Now!’s 25th anniversary.
Other guests will include Noam Chomsky and Arundhati Roy; Winona LaDuke and
Greta Thunberg; Martín Espada, the National Book Award winner; Danny DeVito;
plus musical guests Lila Downs and Tom Morello. You can visit democracynow.org
for more information about the online event December 7th, 8 p.m. Eastern
Time. We hope you will be there.
That is about all we need to make the point.
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There is more idiocy going
on, of course, to be dealt with later.
