The president of American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Randi Weingarten, denied that critical race theory existed. Weingarten leads the powerful teachers’ union and told Fox News host Martha MacCallum this past spring that critical race theory is not controversial.
Now, Weingarten and the union pledged to defend teachers who defy bans on teaching Critical Race Theory, even after she denied that it was being taught in schools.
At the union’s 2021 conference, Weingarten defended Critical Race Theory and an educator’s right to teach the theory if they see fit. Weingarten said, “Let’s be clear: “Let’s be clear: Critical race theory is not taught in elementary schools or high schools.” She continued, “It’s a method of examination taught in law school and college that helps analyze whether systemic racism exists — and, in particular, whether it has an effect on law and public policy.”
In short, Weingarten said that the theory was not being taught in schools, but that teachers have a right to teach it if they deem it necessary. She has been consistently hypocritical in defending the teaching of Critical Race Theory while claiming it is not being taught in schools.
The labor union president blasted conservatives and CRT opponents as “culture warriors” who seek to “make it toxic.” She blamed the GOP for “bullying teachers and trying to stop us from teaching kids honest history.”
The conference also featured remarks from Critical Race Theory advocate Ibram X. Kendi, who said that denying racism is demonstrating racism, “like Donald Trump.” He said, “I recognized that it was important to be vulnerable, to be antiracist.” He concluded, “Like to be antiracist, is to admit the times which we’re being racist. To be racist, is to constantly, consistently, deny, deny, deny, like Donald Trump.”
Ironically, Kendi did not mention President Joe Biden, who has a history of saying offensive racial comments. In 2008, Biden called then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama “articulate” and “clean.” Though Biden apologized for it, his comment insinuated that black Americans were not articulate nor clean, which is a racist trope.
Weingarten’s remarks highlight the partisan, left-wing bent of teachers’ unions, which are attempting to force Critical Race Theory indoctrination into America’s classrooms.