by Kendall Tietz
The Virginia Education Department promotes pro-Critical Race Theory books despite claims from state officials, including Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, that the curricula is not taught in its public schools.
The state’s Department of Education (DOE) promotes pro-Critical Race Theory (CRT) content on its “What We Are Reading” tab on its website, which compiles a list of resources from the Office of Equity and Community Engagement to recommend reading and develop its own work, Fox News first reported.
The list includes titles such as “Foundations of Critical Race Theory in Education” that “acts to further spur developments in education policy, critical pedagogy, and social justice, making it a crucial resource for students and educators alike,” according to its description.
CRT holds that America is fundamentally racist, yet it teaches people 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.
Despite contrary evidence from the state’s DOE, McAuliffe has repeatedly claimed that CRT is not and has never been taught in the state’s public schools. On Oct. 21, he said parents’ concern regarding controversial topics, such as CRT, is a “divisive tactic” completely generated by his Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin.
“Let me be crystal clear, Critical Race Theory is not taught in Virginia,” McAuliffe said. “Critical Race Theory has never been taught in Virginia. This is a racist dog whistle and I hate it, because its pitting parents against parents and parents against teachers.”
Wrong: Terry McAuliffe claims CRT 'is a racist dog whistle' that isn't and has never been taught in Virginia. pic.twitter.com/v8zopuIn2w
— MRCTV (@mrctv) October 22, 2021
Also on the list is “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, one of the most prominent pro-CRT figures, who has compared criticism of CRT to the KKK.
Bettina Love’s “We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom,” is also featured, which advocates that the flawed U.S. educational system known as the “educational survival complex,” should be dismantled because reform is not enough. She promotes “radical civic initiatives and movements” and the “urgency of an abolitionist” to achieve alternatives to traditional education reform and promote intersectional justice.
“Lastly, teachers must embrace theories such as critical race theory, settler colonialism, Black feminism, dis/ability, critical race studies, and other critical theories, that have the ability to interrogate anti-Blackness …” Love wrote in her book that the Virginia DOE promotes, Fox News reported.
“Teachers need to be taught how to question Whiteness and White supremacy, how to check and deal with their White emotions of guilt and anger, and how these all impact their classrooms,” the book reads, Fox News reported. “Teachers must demand the end of high-stakes testing and the yelling of slogans at dark children, such as ‘knowledge is power,’ ‘work hard,’ ‘be nice,’ and ‘no excuses,’ because all you need is grit.”
The U.S. DOE was under fire in July for linking to a “Guide for Racial Justice & Abolitionist Social and Emotional Learning” from Love’s activist group, Abolitionist Teaching Network (ATN) in its handbook on reopening recommendations and policies amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOE said it was an “error” to promote ATN’s guide and walked back its ties to the activist group.
Education has become the most salient issue in the Virginia gubernatorial campaign. An Oct. 20 poll showed McAuliffe and Youngkin tied at 46% among the state’s registered voters ahead of the Nov. 2 election, according to the Monmouth University poll.
Virginia DOE’s EdEquityVA Project aims to “achieve equitable academic outcomes for ALL students” to establish “equity targets, measuring equity outcomes, providing tailored assistance to schools and school leaders, and implementing systemic policy and regulatory changes.”
“Critical race theory is not included in Virginia’s Standards of Learning,” Virginia DOE spokesman Ken Blackstone told Fox News, but did not specify if CRT is taught in schools or used in administration policies.
The Virginia Department of Education did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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Kendall Tietz is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
