Virginia’s Parents Revolted Against CRT In Schools. This Is What Their Kids Were Being Taught

By Nicole Silverio

Parents rejected the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and race-based teachings sweeping Virginia’s education system during the gubernatorial election in November, leading to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s victory.

The Daily Caller interviewed teachers and parents that witnessed schools indoctrinating their children with CRT lessons in the new documentary “Indoctrination Nation.” 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.

Jeremy Wright, a teacher from Loudoun County, exposed the school’s intentional equity training to students. In one lesson, Wright said a teacher confronted a student for “wisely” saying a photograph of a white and black person were “just two people chilling” during a virtual lesson. (‘Indoctrination Nation’: Parents Wage Rebellion Against Woke Education Policies In Daily Caller Documentary)

“I don’t believe that you believe that,” the teacher replied. “I don’t believe that you look at this as just two people.”

Wright said the “worse” equity training was the school’s showing of a video depicting a race between white and people of color on a race track. The white racers got a head start and smoothly ran across the track, while the people of color had a delayed start and encountered several obstacles during the race.

The documentary mentions three children’s books—Mahogany L. Browne’s “Woke Baby,” Ibram X. Kendi’s “Antiracist Baby” and Innosanto Nagara’s “A Is For Activist,” that teaches young children about the “activist agenda.” Browne’s book tells the story of infant activists “cry[ing] out for justice,” and Ibram X. Kend’s “Antiracist Baby” is a picture book encouraging children to “uproot racism” and recognize bias.

“This is exactly why parents are angry because this activist agenda is coming for our babies and that’s not okay,” a woman said, holding up “Woke Baby.”

Chrissy Clark, the Daily Caller’s education reporter, said these teachings are a result of “social emotional learning and cultural-relevant pedagogy,” which both stem from CRT. Although CRT is not directly apart of the curriculum, Clark said the two are aspects of CRT that have been adopted by the Loudoun County school district and taught directly to students. (New Daily Caller Documentary Takes Deep Dive Into The Parent-Led Rebellion Against Loudoun County Public Schools)

“Social emotional learning and cultural-relevant pedagogy are derived from the idea that the school should help children understand their emotions, should be a safe haven for all emotions and it’s not just a physical place of safety but an emotional place of safety. So that’s how you’re getting words of violence and what not,” Clark said.

“We cannot say things that may upset somebody, our job is to protect children from anything that could upset them,” she explained. (RELATED: Superintendent Who Implemented CRT In Loudoun County Is Overseeing A CRT-Inspired ‘Strategic Plan’ In Texas Schools) 

Clark said parents believe their children should be taught the basic curriculum, such as math and reading, which has faded due to the emphasis on social-emotional learning. She said the curriculum emphasizes the importance of morality, which parents believe is their role, not the educators.

Between 2018-20, school districts had spent $422,000 on diversity training prior to the police-involved death of George Floyd in May, 2020, Clark said. Afterwards, Fairfax County, a neighboring district of Loudoun County, began spending large sums of money on training and paid $300 per minute to Kendi, a self-described anti-racist scholar, in order for him to explain racial oppression to educators.

Kendi defined racism as policies that lead to “racial inequity” and are “substantiated by racist ideas” and believes any policy leading to “racial inequity” and “injustice” is racist.

“[Fairfax County was] paying a speaker $300 a minute to Ibram K. Kendi, who’s an alleged anti-racist scholar who came in and spoke for $300 a minute to tell mostly white teachers why black people are incredibly oppressed as a black man making $300 an hour,” Clark said. “I think that’s the beginning of when parents go ‘that doesn’t quite add up.’ And parents begin to get very frustrated that their taxpayer dollars were funding this kind of identity.”

A woman told Daily Caller Chief of Graphics and Senior Producer producer Sagnik Basu that Kendi will not reveal what was said during the school board meeting. She said the board provides “no public consultation” but rather privately creates the equity curriculum. (‘Indoctrination Nation’: Parents Wage Rebellion Against Woke Education Policies In Daily Caller Documentary)

Parents have rallied in Loudoun County and other areas of the country to protest the teaching of CRT. Loudoun County Public School Systems came under fire for its equity plan promising “a racially conscious, identity-affirming and culturally responsive learning space for every student and employee.”

Angry parents in the area formed a group called “Anti-Racist Parents of Loudoun County,” which listed parents suspected to disagree with the curriculum, the Daily Wire reported in March.

Watch the full version of “Indoctrination Nation” here.

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