NEA President: We Need to Teach Students about Race So They ‘Confront the Injustices That Have Been Built Into Every Social System’

During an interview with CBS on Tuesday, National Education Association President Becky Pringle commented on efforts to limit critical race theory and other teachings on race in schools by stating that educators must ensure students are taught the truth because when students are taught the truth, “they have the creative imaginations about what they can actually do to make a difference so that they can actually confront the injustices that have been built into every social system within this country.”

Pringle said, “[A]s educators, we must continue to lift our voice to ensure that our students have the truth. We know, as — I can tell you as a teacher for over 30 years, this is what I know about my students, when they teach — when you teach them the truth, they have the creative imaginations about what they can actually do to make a difference so that they can actually confront the injustices that have been built into every social system within this country. We should never underestimate our students’ ability to not only learn about the complete and rich history of this country, but to come together with their shared stories and make sure that they have the opportunity to be those problem-solvers we need them to be so we can confront the institutional racism that this country lives with every single day. And it’s not just about history. It’s about right now, as we very well know.”

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