Alabama schools official reports complaints of Black History Month as teaching critical race theory

[AZProgressive]

An Alabama schools official on Wednesday told lawmakers preparing to take up bills associated with critical race theory (CRT) that state residents are confused as to what the theory actually means.

Alabama Superintendent Eric Mackey told members of the state House Education Policy Committee that people have voiced complaints about CRT teachings in schools, but investigations from state officials that follow find no evidence of such lessons, according to AL.com.

“I had two calls in the last week that they’re having a Black History Month program and they consider having a Black history program CRT,” Mackey said. “Having a Black history program is not CRT.”

”There are people out there who don’t understand what CRT is. And so in their misunderstanding of it, they make a report but it’s not actually CRT,” he added.

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/592687-alabama-state-school-official-reports-complaints-of-black-history-month

[walkingman]

1. Get over it - what the hell is wrong with people these days.

[nykym]

2. As Forest Gummp's mother used to say

Stupid is as Stupid does!

[Atticus]

3. I have a hard time believing that any of these cowardly blue-nosed tight-asses

are mistaken about what was intended by the law in question.

[DBoon]

4. CRT means whatever racist whites want it to mean

The ambiguity is entirely intentional

[nykym]

5. As Forest Gummp's mother used to say

Stupid is as Stupid does!

[Baitball Blogger]

6. I hope the Democrats are wise enough to seize this opportunity.

Show that these new laws are intended to establish a white dominant viewpoint of America, and they're starting by going after Black History month.

[Docreed2003]

7. They don't understand what CRT is because they were never intended to understand

The racists decided to turn CRT into a catchall buzz phrase for votes and a cover to remove anything from the classroom that doesn't fit their lily white narrative of American History.

[Whiskeytide]

8. CRT is not the point. The Republican leadership doesn't really care ...

… about whether anyone is actually teaching CRT. They only care about motivating the ever-growing bigot wing of the party to vote. And black person issues motivate them to vote (see, e.g., Obama).

The members of the bigot wing have come to think of “CRT” as anything related to black people. Anything. The fact that they are stupid and confused about what CRT might really look like is actually an intended part of the plan to rile them up over a non-issue.

[Solly Mack]

9. Exactly

They're not simply playing on the ignorance of their voters, but on their bigotry most of all. And bigotry can reinforce ignorance, just as ignorance and fear can create bigotry.

They want the confusion because then everything related to black people can be attacked and marginalized.

They want a white-centric history taught where everyone else is on the sidelines, existing outside the "true" and "real" (read: white) America, and not as an integral part of American history, with stories of their own to tell, with truths and facts that put lie to the cleansed narrative of America.

The kind of history that was taught for decades in America - leaving everyone out except white men and the occasional white woman, where myth, whitewash, and "Lost Cause" bullshit ruled the day. Where white people were seen as benevolent bestowers of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and everyone else should be not only grateful but feel indebted.

[Nevilledog]

10. Local article

Link to tweet

https://www.al.com/news/2022/02/alabama-officials-receive-complaints-about-black-history-month-as-state-debates-crt-legislation.html

As Alabama lawmakers look to take up multiple bills in the coming weeks that would ban divisive concepts associated with critical race theory, Alabama Superintendent Eric Mackey on Wednesday told members of the House Education Policy Committee people are confused about what CRT is.

Mackey said he is hearing from people who call to report CRT being taught, but when state officials investigate, they find no evidence.

”There are people out there who don’t understand what CRT is. And so in their misunderstanding of it, they make a report but it’s not actually CRT.”

“I had two calls in the last week that they’re having a Black History Month program and they consider having a Black history program CRT,” Mackey said. “Having a Black history program is not CRT.”

*snip*