In South Dakota, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem just proposed legislation that aims to eliminate Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the state’s public school system.
This legislation is an official cure to her executive order that banned CRT just a few months ago. On top of the CRT ban, Noem also told the South Dakota Department of Education that, until 2022, they could not apply for grants from the federal government in the fields of history or civics.
Noem said in a statement Monday that, “Americans believe ‘all men are created equal,’ and we also believe the American dream is available to all regardless of race, color, or national origin.”
“Our schools should teach our children our nation’s true and honest history,” the governor continued. “They should teach about our successes in establishing a country that is a beacon of freedom to the world and our mistakes along the way. Our children should not, however, be taught the false and divisive message that they are responsible for the shortcomings of past generations and other members of our respective races.”
South Dakota joins 17 other states in proposing or enacting legislation against critical race theory. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis banned CRT from classrooms over the summer.
According to the New York Post, the Florida governor said at a press conference that, “Our legislation will defund any money for K-12 going to CRT consultants. No taxpayer dollars should be used to teach our kids to hate our country or hate each other.”
He has also made similar comments when the state Board of Education banned it from Florida schools earlier this year, “I think it’s going to cause a lot of divisions,” the governor said, according to Fox News. “I think it’ll cause people to think of themselves more as a member of a particular race based on skin color, rather than based on the content of their character and based on their hard work and what they’re trying to accomplish in life.”
Republicans have taken up Critical Race Theory as one of the top issues affecting their kids’ education. Republican Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin of Virginia campaigned on this promise as well and won his race as a result.