Some Arizona students are being taught that their race is a problem – and that's a problem
As the chair of the House Education Committee, I have received countless pleas from parents to address what their children are being taught at school. They are especially concerned with racially divisive instruction that has been increasingly finding its way into classrooms.
Many have pointed to instances in which their children have been categorized and pitted against each other as oppressor and oppressed, not because of anything the students have done or said, but because of immutable characteristics they have no control over — such as their skin color, race, ethnicity or gender.
In some cases, white students are told that “whiteness” is a problem they must seek to overcome.
Such categorization, scapegoating and emphasis on race, ethnicity and gender as insurmountable barriers results in creating artificial divisions where none existed.
Yet these are the teachings derived from what is called critical race theory.
These lessons are occurring in some Arizona schools
Critics of the legislation I have proposed to keep the repugnant concepts of critical race theory out of Arizona classrooms claim that it is not taught here.
As a teacher, I know that it is.
Moreover, it is actively encouraged by the liberal National Education Association, which supports the instruction of critical race theory in every classroom in every state.
Some Arizona teachers have signed a petition promising to continue teaching critical race theory even if it is banned. So, while these radical and destructive concepts may not be in every classroom across the state, it is absolutely occurring in some of our schools.
Like most Arizona parents, I believe that schools should be focused on teaching our children the core knowledge and skills they need to be successful, ensuring that students learn to read, write and do math.
Our kids shouldn’t be sheltered from troubling history; rather they should learn from it. My legislation doesn’t ban discussions of America’s warts and past sins, such as slavery, Jim Crow, sexism or women’s suffrage, or how any these institutions of the past have shaped our current society.
This isn't about suppressing history
Critics might suggest that my bill is an attempt to suppress learning these important facts about the past, but they misunderstand. My goal is simply this: No student should ever be taught that a person’s race, ethnicity or sex determines his or her character, bias, treatment or worth.
Our country has not always lived up to the concept that “all men are created equal,” still, it is a fundamental ideal that should be upheld by our schools, government institutions and society.
Judging individuals by the color of their skin, ethnic heritage or sex is deeply wrong. To teach Arizona’s children otherwise is immoral and fuels corrosive societal tensions within our state and nation.
Components of critical race theory that teach children that race predestinates behavior should not be tolerated in our schools in any way, shape or form.
Racism cannot be combated by teaching children to be racist. You cannot heal prejudice with more prejudice. And whether it's happening in one classroom or in all of them, it needs to stop.
Michelle Udall is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 25 in Mesa. On Twitter: @michudall.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Some Arizona students are being taught that their race is a problem
