(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/25/2021) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned racist abuse targeting school officials in North Carolina over a manufactured controversy about false claims that so-called critical race theory (CRT) is being taught in that state’s schools.
Guilford County Superintendent Sharon Contreras and Guilford County Schools Board Chair Deena Hayes have been targeted by racist complaints that they are part of “the lowest IQ demographics in the world,” claims of teaching “critical hood rat theory” and of having an affinity for “BLM thugs.”
SEE: North Carolina school leaders pelted with racist abuse amid right-wing panic over critical race theory
https://www.rawstory.com/critical-race-theory-2653543543/
In May, CAIR condemned a last-minute bill in the North Carolina legislature similar to those introduced in state legislatures nationwide that would bar schools from teaching critical race theory.
SEE: CAIR Condemns NC Bill to Ban Anti-Racism Teaching
According to the American Bar Association, “CRT recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past. Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation.”
SEE: A Lesson on Critical Race Theory
The manufactured controversy over the teaching of critical race theory is similar to a previous manufactured right-wing campaign against the non-existent imposition of “sharia law” nationwide.
SEE: Why the Panic Over Critical Race Theory Is Just the Fake Sharia Law Scare All Over Again
“We stand in solidarity with dedicated school officials in North Carolina and nationwide who are being subjected to a manufactured campaign of racist hate based on white supremacist propaganda about non-existent critical race theory training in schools,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “All students should understand the destructive impact of systemic anti-Black racism in our society so that they can help create a more just and inclusive future.”
Hooper added that in Virginia, chaos erupted during public comment at a recent school board meeting over claims that critical race theory is being taught in the classroom.
SEE: Turmoil erupts in school district after claims that critical race theory and transgender policy are being pushed
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/24/us/loudoun-county-school-board-meeting/index.html
He noted that CAIR has condemned efforts to ban anti-racism teaching in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, Idaho, Utah, Missouri, and New Hampshire.
SEE: CAIR Condemns Iowa Governor’s Signing of Law Banning Anti-Racism Teaching
Hooper said the American Muslim community and CAIR are standing in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
SEE: CAIR Supports Recommendation to Move North Carolina Confederate Monument
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com