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New Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signaled his commitment to extreme conservativism with a slate of executive orders passed quickly after his inauguration. During his inauguration, he seemed to strike a civil and even bipartisan tone, but a slew of executive orders released by the new governor says otherwise.
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Immediately after taking office, Youngkin issued 11 executive orders with the first two items on the list a ban on the teaching of critical race theory in schools and mask mandates.
This can’t be shrugged off as simply ignorant people not wanting the “real history” to be told. Allowing the showdown around critical race theory to persist unchecked would be a mistake. The wide interpretation of what is considered “divisive” and the continued false narrative of a niche legal concept being taught in k-12 classrooms need to be addressed.
Racial justice and equity advocates continue to debunk anti-CRT rhetoric and stress the importance of inclusive history. The Virginia-based Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax has hosted a series called “Teaching Truth: Putting Students First,” which featured a teach-in Saturday commemorating Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
The conservative obsession with critical race theory and efforts like the 1619 Project is not about improving educational opportunities and limiting “divisiveness.” Across the country, book bans and curriculum restrictions represent a backward trend focused on protecting the fragile feelings of white people coming to terms with what it means to be in the minority in the next few decades.
Source: New Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Unveils ‘Day One’ Executive Order Banning Critical Race Theory
