Youngkin looks to root out critical race theory in Virginia

Originally Published on ClickOnDetroit.com

RICHMOND, Va. – It was literally the first thing Virginia’s Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, did when he took office last month: sign an executive order designed to root out critical race theory from the state’s education system.

He ordered the Department of Education to conduct a review and even started a hotline so aggrieved parents could provide tips and examples of its implementation in the classroom.

While the issue has been a political hot button — Youngkin’s victory is widely attributed to his ability to tap into parents’ frustration on education issues — the debate over critical race theory has rarely evolved in Virginia beyond a yes-it-is-no-it-isn’t debate. Democrats say the concept simply isn’t taught in Virginia schools. Republicans insist it is widespread and part of a broad, liberal indoctrination of students.

“Anyone who thinks that the concepts that actually underpin critical race theory are not in our schools hasn’t been in our schools,” Youngkin said in an interview with Fox News after he was inaugurated.

Critical race theory, or CRT, is a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism. It centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people in society.

There is no evidence that CRT has been formally adopted into state curricula. But there is ample evidence key education administrators have incorporated the concept into teacher training. And critics have found examples of what they consider to be critical race theory seeping into classroom lessons…