Tennessee Legislators pass Critical Race Theory Law

Jackson, TN.

Tennessee lawmakers have passed legislation that will now ban the teachings of critical race theory. This law prohibits schools from instructing students that one race bears responsibility for the past actions against another. Today 39 news spoke with a supporter and an opponent of the legislation.

Senator Blackburn’s support for the legislation stems from her fear that teaching critical race theory in the public school system will promote division amongst races. Marsha Blackburn ((R)TN Senator) stated, “What we know is that people want their children to educated, not indoctrinated. They want them to love our country and it is wrong to teach them that someone is automatically an oppressor, and that someone is automatically a victim. When I talk to parents, they want their children to be colorblind. They want them to get to know people, to look at them, and like I said to be colorblind.”

Jackson-Madison County NAACP President Harrell Carter fears the removal of critical race theory will cause a lack of understanding of a history of enslavement that may result in history repeating itself. Harrell Carter (Jackson-Madison County NAACP President) informed, “We now have to live with institutionalized racism. Rather it’s in our healthcare delivery system. Which this pandemic has certainly exposed. Whether it be in our education system obviously because we don’t know history. We’re afraid to teach history. The history we tell, it’s a lot of falsity to it. When we look at our criminal justice system. We have all types of issues centered around race. People make money off other people ignorance.”

Makayla Davis

mdavis@nbc39tv.com