Censorship in Classrooms and Free Speech: A Message to Republicans
Article by Aida Sall, TPT Staff Writer
Critical race theory (CRT) — it has dominated much of the conversation surrounding education in contemporary America. From outraged conservative parents at school board meetings to national political figures baselessly denouncing the theory, discussions surrounding CRT have pervaded many social circles.
Firstly, I feel as though it is necessary to define critical race theory. According to Encyclopædia Britannica, critical race theory is an “intellectual and social movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of colour.” This course of study is generally taught at the graduate level, specifically in law school — not in K-12 schools.
Now that everyone is on the same page, you are most likely wondering why so many people have gravely raised concerns surrounding CRT. In my view, this has been largely fueled by the massive influence of Trumpism and its vast ramifications on sentiments surrounding race and discussions about it.
Following the tragic 2020 death of George Floyd, many conversations have ignited regarding race and the myriad of ways in which it impacts our society. Still, rather than educating themselves on how to challenge this system, many people, especially white Republicans in rural and suburban areas, have conflated this with villainizing them. Many have said this teaches white children that they are “oppressors,” while Black children and other children of color are the “oppressed,” supposedly making white children feel guilty as a result. However, this begs the following question: why do such individuals identify with the oppressors instead of the many people throughout history who have exercised allyship, actively making an effort to challenge racism and the status quo?
The answer is that such people do not have any willingness to educate themselves and would rather relish in white comfortability than exercise true allyship. However, this is not merely confined to conversions surrounding race; there have also been bans on books discussing sexism, homophobia, and other structures of oppression.
Photo via ACLU
In fact, according to CBS News, 41% of banned books “included LGBTQ themes, protagonists or prominent secondary characters.” Meanwhile, 40% included people of color, while 21% discussed issues of race and racism and 10% dealt with themes of rights and activism.
Florida is especially illustrative of this. Moreover, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also banned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in state colleges, using rhetoric indicating that keeping such programs is succumbing to a “woke mob.”
Additionally, the state has banned the College Board’s AP African American Studies course, which is set to enter classrooms in the fall of 2024. The Florida Department of Education has claimed that the class indoctrinates students to "a political agenda” and that the course “lacks educational value.” The course’s original content includes slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary social movements such as the Black Lives Matter Movement and critical race theory. Now, the study of the Black Lives Matter Movement was made optional, while critical race theory has been completely omitted.
I am very dissatisfied with the College Board's choice to censor key topics of AP African American Studies due to these complaints. It is immoral to be advised by the Florida Department of Education, especially given their deeply racially insensitive beliefs — so much so that I, as a young Black woman, would deem such views racist. Critical contemporary concepts, such as the debate over reparations, and prominent thinkers, like Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, Roderick Ferguson, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Bell Hooks, and Angela Davis should not be minimized; students need to learn from a comprehensive curriculum that accurately depicts the African American experience.
This means it is incumbent upon the College Board to include Black history in its entirety, rather than succumbing to the whims of far-right ideologues seeking political expediency and consequently, effectively denying students the fundamental right to knowledge. For this very reason, I implore them to change the curriculum to rightfully include these critical elements.
Although the Governor often claims to be pro-free speech, it is alarmingly evident that it is a one-way street. Frankly, dictating what educators are allowed to teach in schools is heavily emblematic of an authoritarian regime. Furthermore, this attack on the free speech of those with dissenting views spans beyond the classroom.
Just weeks ago, two Democratic lawmakers in the Tennessee state legislature — Rep. Justin J. Pearson (D – Memphis) and Rep. Justin Jones (D – Nashville) — were expelled from their seats simply for protesting in solidarity with people calling for gun reform. Notably, however, Rep. Gloria Johnson (D – Knoxville), a white woman, did not face expulsion. For a party that claims to fervently support free speech, the GOP seems, at the very least, extremely hypocritical — and this is indicative of a broader erosion of civility and democratic norms in American political discourse from the Republican Party.
Ultimately, the onus is on us, both as the citizenry and the next generation of this nation’s leaders to mobilize and make our voices heard until our desires are reflected in reality and we live in a truly equitable society in which all can both learn about our past in its entirely — including the good and the bad — and ensure a brighter future in which all can thrive, regardless of who tries to silence us.
The views articulated in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official stances of The Progressive Teen or High School Democrats of America.