John,
A little over a year ago, I was a middle school principal in a public school in the Bronx. In total, I’ve worked in public education for more than 20 years. I have spent my entire professional adult life as an educator in our public schools, and I can unequivocally say that — counter to what you’ll hear from Repbulican leaders — critical race theory is not something we teach in our public schools.
Critical race theory is important, particularly as it relates to education, because it will play an essential role in our process of healing, truth, and reconciliation with the ills that plague our country and lead to unnecessary pain and suffering for Black Americans. But it’s not something that we teach in our public schools.
So John, when I hear about these stories of critical race theory in our public school classrooms from my Republican colleagues, I don’t know what they are hearing or reading about. But obviously what they are being informed by is completely false.
And what’s truly unfortunate is that Republicans are spending so much time using this myth of critical race theory to fearmonger and gain political points, rather than spending time talking about stuff that matters, like how our schools are underfunded by $150 billion annually.
We should be talking about funding our schools better. We should be talking about how we can desegregate our public schools and reimagine a system that allows every child to access their full potential. We should be talking about bills like the Green New Deal for Public Schools, my latest piece of legislation to bring our schools into the 21st century.
So when there are laws like the one that the Texas Senate recently passed — laws to remove civil rights and women's suffrage from public school curriculum — I know it was never about critical race theory. It was always about teaching white supremacy.
Laws dictated by a racial hierarchy are deadly, and they have no place in our public schools. Our country, and our world, cannot be just so long as they are governed by them.
We absolutely cannot reach our potential as a country while our laws perpetuate white supremacy. We must continue to denounce and fight back against these efforts from Republican lawmakers.
John, I’m proud to be one of the few public school educators in Congress. I believe that every child deserves to unlock their full, brilliant potential — and that it’s on us to make sure it happens. I’m proud to continue legislating for progress, on behalf of our movement and for our children. Please join me and add your name in support of our fight to bring our schools and youth the support and resources they deserve.
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Thank you,
Jamaaal Bowman via LeftNet
PAID FOR BY BOWMAN FOR CONGRESS
