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Leave Parents Their Right

I believe Guilford’s schools are preparing to immerse students in Critical Race Theory (CRT), which emerged in the 1970s in law schools that were endeavoring to determine why the Civil Rights Movement had not gained more traction. I believe CRT espouses that racism is part of American culture; inequality is driven by racism; individuals are either the oppressors or the oppressed; and the oppressed are limited and bound by social class. Guilford’s students have regularly formed and debated their own opinions concerning world and U.S. history, which is rife with injustices. They’ve done this well and without interference, indoctrination, or labels of oppressed or oppressor.

Our students are not guilty for the sins of others and don’t deserve to have guilt or inadequacy transferred to them. The evil of English sailors taking slaves from a Portuguese slave ship only to enslave them in the colony of Virginia is their evil. The immorality of King Charles II, who thrust slavery upon the colonies, sickened mankind, made men tyrants, and separated humanity by race is his evil, not ours or our children’s. We don’t help our children become people of conscience by assigning them another man’s blame.

The best lesson Guilford parents and teachers can do for the children of Guilford is to live out before them the Constitution’s declaration that “All men are created equal.” CRT draws attention to race, like an old record. We should not replay the old song in our town. We need excellent, fact-based teaching, and we need to leave parents their right and duty to navigate their children through socially charged issues as they see best.

Dianne Albright

Guilford