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Since 2021, terms like Critical Race Theory (CRT), banning books, parents' rights and school choice have swirled through the media, school board meetings and community conversations. It’s seemingly a culture war, but many remain unsure as to the origins of this coordinated movement and its implications.
A great place to start is to distinguish between CRT and critically educating about race and racism in U.S. history. CRT is a theoretical framework that was developed in the 1980s by legal scholars that helps us understand how societal structures perpetuate racial inequality and injustice, and how they are integrated into some of our laws and policy. It creates a framework to consider racism systemically, not just as individuals mistreating one other.
CRT does not attribute racism to people of any race, but rather emphasizes how U.S. social and governmental institutions such as the healthcare system, education system, labor practices and others propel and support racial disparities. Opposition to CRT is a regressive agenda supported by conservative leaning communities and right-wing politicians, highlighting an underlying, collective fear of raising awareness about structural inequality and racism. This awareness implicates many of our collective societal practices and points to things that require change in our government to have a more fair and just society. It is part of a larger plan of prioritizing individuals over community, shielding those with conservative values from the discomfort of hard truths and to distract, incite societal fractioning across, race, gender and ethnicity.
Why is Thinking Critically Important?
The ability for students to identify and think critically about reliable sources of information to inform personal decisions is vital to their education. Learning how to develop a worldview equips students to thrive in our increasingly global society. When students are taught to consider racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities it helps them contextualize their observations such as understanding why people of color are far more likely to be incarcerated, have a lower life expectancy, experience poverty, among other sobering statistics. Removing study of a complete history and prohibiting honest conversations around race and society removes truth and reality from education. It also erases the history of many students as they and their heritage are not represented with intellectual integrity
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The furor over CRT is having an impact. More than half of U.S. states have passed measures prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory in schools or government employee trainings. According to the National Urban League’s 2023 “State of Black America Report, over 567 laws have been introduced across the U.S. to suppress access to school libraries, censor and censure educators, and rewrite American history. This idea is skyrocketing on Fox News and in Republican-run state legislatures, leading to these bans.
To date many Wisconsinites are unclear if CRT is taught in our K-12 classrooms. According to Wisconsin State School Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jill Underly, the answer is no. She states that students are taught about race and racism. “To do anything else would be a blatant disregard for the truth of our country’s history and an erasure of the lived experience of our students. Teaching about race and racism is the only way to teach the complete story of the United States.”
Evers Vetoes GOP Bill
In February of this year, Governor and former Wisconsin Superintendent of Schools, Tony Evers, vetoed a Republican bill that would have prohibited Wisconsin public schools from educating students and employees about concepts associated with CRT such as: critical self-reflection, social emotional learning (SEL), diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), cultural awareness, cultural relevance, patriarchy, marginalized/minoritized/under-represented, land acknowledgement, multiculturalism, racial justice, anti-racism, microaggressions, diversity training, educational justice, intersectionality and implicit/explicit bias.
The Wisconsin Public Educators Network (WPEN), the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and other Wisconsin education leaders strongly opposed the proposed bill. Evers rationale was his opposition to “creating new censorship rules that restrict schools and educators from teaching honest, complete facts about important historical topics like the Civil War and civil rights.”
Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) has led the charge in nonpartisan organizing for Wisconsin public schools. WPEN supports educators and community members with their advocacy, by empowering through education and sharing talking points. Christian Phelps, director of digital organizing and communications states, “WPEN is firmly in favor of a full diverse, robust, and representative curricula and diverse leaders. Black, indigenous and individuals from other marginalized groups deserve to see themselves represented in curricula and learn about themselves in history.” He describes it as an effort to shut down strong, equitable public education. He sees Act 10 as a huge affront to the professionalism of educators and part of the movement to cripple Wisconsin public education. “When you ask people what they think of their kids’ teachers, or their neighbors who are teachers, they generally love them as individuals.”
Punishing MPS?
With regard to Milwaukee Public Schools, Phelps reported that, “It isn’t terribly unusual for MPS to be singled out. It is the largest school district, a majority minority school district, and resides in the most diverse city in Wisconsin which boasts the widest racial disparities. It’s important to be aware of why they are being singled out with regard to legislation.”
The Moms of Liberty have risen as a major driving force behind anti-CRT, book banning, anti-masking and school voucher efforts both in Wisconsin and across the nation. Their slogan, “We do not co-parent with the government” speaks to their belief of the government enforcing a liberal agenda on students and the restriction of parental rights. In Wisconsin, the Moms of Liberty are represented in 12 counties, including Milwaukee County. Moms of Liberty did not respond to requests for an interview.
This July, first grade teacher Melissa Tempel was fired after expressing disagreement with Waukesha School District after prohibiting her first graders from singing “Rainbowland.” School officials claimed the duet by Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus was controversial in light of school policy. Tempel, who insists she would not have done anything differently has since been hired by MPS and advocates for gender inclusivity.
Earlier this month, an MPS teacher, Angela Harris, of Martin Luther King Jr. School, sought legal action after an anti-CRT political ad used a portion of a Tik Tok video she posted without her consent. This current television advertisement was sponsored by Good to Kids, led by David Langdon of Langdon Law. In 2015 Politico cited Langdon as a funnel of “dark money” for far-right causes. Harris insists the clip was taken out of context and misrepresents her values as well as the values of the African American immersion school she teaches at.
In the words of State Superintendent Jill Underly, “I believe we have no other choice but to teach about it and learn from it if we want to protect the strength of our state and nation. Teaching about race and racism is essential, it is culturally relevant, it is good teaching, and saying otherwise is not only problematic, it’s racist.” WPEN’s Christian Phelps encourages Wisconsinites to “not be distracted by efforts to take our eyes of the ball.” He urges community members and advocates to support Wisconsin public school education by attending school board meetings, standing against school vouchers and book banning, supporting our public school educators, dispelling the anti-CRT agenda in conversations and on social media with facts, voting in elections and corresponding with school and elected officials.
