Tag: Critical Race Theory
From Book Banning to Broadband, What’s New in 2022?
Issues relating to intellectual freedom continue to dominate news stories, including debates on critical race theory, LGTBQ materials, academic freedom, and broadband access. In the past several months various state governments have passed bills targeting school curriculum. Fueled by misinterpretations of Critical Race Theory, this has led to numerous attempts to censor or ban books that discuss race. Books discussing gender and sexuality, mainly those with LGBTQ themes, have also been targeted such as when residents in Wyoming attempted to file criminal charges against library staff. Academic freedom of faculty on college campuses are also under fire, whether for curriculum concerns (related to aforementioned bills targeting Critical Race Theory) or for providing expertise outside their capacity as an educator. Broadband access continues to be an issue as many Americans continue to rely on the internet for work, education, or various other essential functions.
Practical Steps for Navigating Intellectual Freedom Challenges: Interviews with Tasslyn Magnusson and Ashley Hope Peréz
Read more to discover recent resources developed to help combat book and intellectual freedom censorship stemming from anti-”critical race theory” critics.
The Trend Continues: Books with Civil Rights Themes Challenged in Schools
Texas Republican Representative Matt Krause is investigating books that “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress.” The irony here, Philip Bump points out, is that all this fervor over books that create “discomfort” in teens and tweens comes on the heels of conservatives claiming censorship and “cancel culture” when Dr. Seuss Enterprises ceased publication of six books that portray racist imagery.
South Carolina Parents Involved in Education (SCPIE) Hosting Meetings Across State, Demanding Censorship
Organizations such as United States Parents Involved in Education are centering themselves in the fight against what they perceive as indoctrination and propaganda in public schools, directly advocating for unconstitutional censorship of educational and library materials.
Intellectual Freedom on College Campuses: An Update on Current State Legislation
The term intellectual freedom has been recently tossed around by state lawmakers to justify new laws targeting college campuses. The recent laws and policy changes mainly target one of three things: faculty tenure, curriculum, or freedom of speech. This post will provide an update on new laws or incidents happening in various states.
The Extortion of White Supremacy
This Executive Order is not only censorship but extortion too. The Federal Government is censoring intellectual ideas and curriculum to continue its endemic ignorance of racism in this country. It is intimidating organizations addressing racism by withholding funds by threatening sanctions and debarment.