There’s been a lot of media attention over the past several weeks on the issue of critical race theory in our education system, workplaces, government and military. This media attention is certainly helpful to bring this issue to the forefront and to awaken parents around the country to what is going on in our schools and more broadly in society. However, we need much more than talk. We need action. We need to fight critical race theory and illiberal and anti-intellectual indoctrination on many different levels, including at the per school level and within school districts. However, I believe we also need a national effort to fix our education system and to save our country.
I believe there are five things that we must start doing on the national level, and we must start these efforts now!
#DefundCRT
We need a national donor strike against any private K-12 school, any college or university, any arts institution or any religious institution that teaches or espouses critical race theory. We must cut off the funding for these institutions.
Boycotts of companies
We need to start boycotting each and every company that tries to indoctrinate their employees with critical race theory, hires diversity and equity officers and consultants, and terminates, punishes, or cancels employees because of their political views. Write letters and use social media to get the message to companies. Contact their investor relations and customer service departments. For public companies, divest your stock. We must also protect and reward whistle blowers.
Coordinated Protests
Over this coming summer, we need coordinated protests in the state capitals of all 50 states to fight against critical race theory being adopted in public school curriculums. These protests must be non-political and must include parents as well as educators. We must get the message to governors of both political parties that we are destroying public education, and damaging our children with divisive and Marxist teachings.
Build New Private Schools
We need a massive philanthropic effort to build new, affordable private schools all across this country. These schools do not have to be fancy, they just have to teach history properly. They should be available to any family, regardless of income, who values the education of their children. We must break the public school monopoly in this country.
National Civil Rights Movement
We need a new Civil Rights Movement focused on returning our country to the color-blind ideals of Dr. Martin Luthor King Jr. We need a true non-partisan national movement, with marches in Washington, D.C. We are not black or brown or white in this country. We are humans and Americans. We must stop the divisive hyper-focus on race that will inevitably lead to ethnic strife and a fracturing of this country.
Perhaps you could expand your post about #4, your vision of affordable private schools. What might that look like? The demand side for affordable mid-priced private schools (of any type) has declined a bit over time, particularly Catholic schools.
God’s continued Blessings in your life and those you love.
I did a non profit foundation called parenting principles practices and responsibilities with the get parents back into parenting. we might have to address parenting instead of it’s they fault parenting.
See the notes above.
Art Fuller
Martin Luther King had color blind ideals but they have never come to pass. This county was built on racism and it has not changed. This critical race theory, I feel is a means to get the Black-Americans information in the history books. You do know that that Columbus is still in the history books as discovering America-when we now that Native Indians were here first.
We need accurate information that we are included in this history of the United States as we built this country! Even though we had a black President. He could not make any moves because of the racist nature of people and the Republicans. Nooses, cracks about his wife and so many other things made his two-terms a living hell!!
It’s a nightmare!
Wow. Yes there still is racism, bullying, and lots of hate. We are all humans/great apes and much of our behavior is hard wired. Color blind is certainly an ideal – but it is the correct approach, unlike CRT which pits people against each other. Holding people of history to standards we have (or try to have) today is a useless exercise. They can only be understood by what was the conventional wisdom of the day. I am not suggesting that the horrors of slavery – whether at the hands of Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Aztecs, Mongols, Chinese, Algonquin, Africans or European Colonists, I could list more – should not be taught. It should also be taught that history is full of mistreatment, misunderstanding of the “other” those with any differences from the norm. We have come a long way, but have far to go.
Columbus… Please. I doubt that and reputable recent, history books credit Columbus with the discovery of America. First it was European discovery… and if not Columbus would have been someone else… and we know that Vikings were here earlier. We also know that Polynesians were in South America, and of course Asians came across the land bridge and possibly by sea. All humans came from Africa if you enter deep time.
“We built this country’… who exactly? Prisoners and rejects from England, Europe and Africa. Oh yes, China and Japan too. Any history that doesn’t tell about these nation builders – and what they did to people who were here first, isn’t being fully honest. That said, the first peoples were warring and enslaving each other too – no one was innocent.
There seems to be a gross misunderstanding of Republicans or anyone who disagrees. The “racist” “white supremacist” shouts are heard. Mitch McConnell stated that his goal would be making Obama a one-term president. He also made a similar statement about Biden, who is not black. Republicans are essentially a minority party that will attempt to hold power by any means. Does that mean they are all racists. No. Of course there were disgusting cracks and threats against the Obama’s. But my point is that there will always be the haters of the other. We can, and should teach of everyone’s accomplishments and contributions, and the negatives too.
MLK’s teachings, colorblindness, equality, They are worthy goals, but beware of “equity”. Equality of outcome is Marxist thought and never was successful to the extent that it was ever really tried. Those in power always had the advantages and enslaved the masses…
You just had to include- “Republicans are essentially a minority party that will attempt to hold power by any means”. WHY? Did you live under a rock during the Trump term? Did you not see the lies by the numerous Democratic committees, the FBI interference or the 24/7 attacks on Trump. No mention of the numerous Dems supporting CRT. So, going forward lets focus on stopping CRT and reunite the country.
Tee: Are there specific race-related issues in this country, and/or in specific areas of the country? Yes. Are some of those issues addressable by the people at large? I believe so.
But some of the issues are caused by *blacks* and the nature of black urban culture today (a culture that is very different from the culture in black neighborhoods in the 1950s and 60s). Those particular issues can *only* be fixed by blacks. Sorry to give you the bad news.
I advise you to watch the YouTube series Black Wisdom Matters. It is a 6-part series by black Americans for black Americans. It’s based on facts and will help you separate the real issues facing black Americans today from the made-up ones. The truth will set you free.
The understanding of prejudice and racism MUST be understood on a global historical scale. All peoples of all nations through all of recorded time have been guilty. This understanding is where we progress. Not singling out America as some uniquely separate place in the world. We as a people have stood strong against these immoralities. We continue to move forward.
CRT is blatant racism in its purest sence. A system of thought that is designed to divide a people. Truly out of the divide and concor playbook of Marxism.
The gutless reaction of American company”s adherence to this doctrine is spineless and embarrassing. The Military must stop now.
Mr Gutman i support you in the Courageous effort you have embarked on. I have two grand childern who will be entering school next year. I plan on being active in the dismantling of CRT.
We need community base charter school as an alternative the the Socialist gangster teachers union thats been in place. Americans should be given a tax credit for participating in alternate schooling.
NYC is spending in or over the range of $25,000 per year,,,,Thats $250,000 per year for ten students. Imagine what we could build with this kind if money privately.
My freshman daughter’s English teacher made all of his students take a racist test to see whether or not they are racist when my daughter asked if she refused to take the test would it affect her grade he said significantly. Something has to be done this is not right.
CRT teaches children to judge individuals based on their race, gender, religion and sexual orientation. The complete opposite of what we teach our children which is to judge individuals on their character.
CRT has already been taught in other countries at other times. CRT was taught in Nazi Germany. Replace the words “whites” with “Jews” and “minorities” with “Germans”. Hitlers CRT taught German children they were being oppressed by the Jews. Ibrahim’s CRT teaches American children that whites, males, Christians and heterosexuals are oppressing minorities, females, non-Christians and anyone LGBTQ. And while I am sure there are instances of racism and oppression to teach that all people of all race, sex etc are a certain way is just completely ridiculous and wrong. It feels like I’m living in another universe even having to say that. Lumping people together like that is so wrong and the opposite of what I was taught growing up.
In 1994 in Rwanda The CRT was that the Hutus were being oppressed by the Tutsis and so the Hutus mass murdered over a million Tutsis.
Don’t let history repeat itself. I don’t want racism, sexism, discrimination against religion or sexual orientation being taught in my children’s schools.
I admire MLK Jr for his (and all the others who fought along with him) courageous leadership in the civil rights movement. And I am grateful to them today because I enjoyed going to a desegregated school where I made friends of all races and learned to judge individuals based on their character. I love that our children have friends of all races too and we will encourage them to marry whoever they choose based on character. We embrace diversity in our home, we encourage our children to learn our nations history (the bad and the good), but we do not embrace racism, sexism or discrimination. And I will fight to stop it from happening.