Group inspired by Trump's 1776 Commission launches 'Patriotic' campaign to combat CRT
The campaign will “counter false and misleading accounts of American history”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A group inspired by former President Donald Trump’s 1776 Commission launched a campaign recognizing September as "Patriotic Education Month" to "counter false and misleading accounts of American history" in schools and encourage students to be proud Americans.
"For good reason, there’s been a lot of attention on the divisive, ideological agenda being forced on students. But while we fight that, we must also teach our youngest citizens why they should be proud to be Americans," President of 1776 Action, Adam Waldeck, told Fox News when asked about the month-long campaign.
"From Washington to Lincoln to Rev. King to Rosa Parks we are a land of heroes, and the values that they all fought and sacrificed for should not be shunned, but celebrated. Patriotic Education Month is one way to get started."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FATHER TELLS BOARD CRT KEEPS RACISM ON 'LIFE SUPPORT', MOMENTS LATER THEY VOTE TO BAN IT
Beyond encouraging local leaders across the country to issue proclamations establishing September as Patriotic Education Month, 1776 Action will also host an event headlined by former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson on Sept. 8 in Loudon County, Virginia, and will showcase teachers, students and schools across the country that "seek to celebrate American history and preserve the memory of American heroes."
The month-long event comes as schools implement controversial critical race theory curriculum in classrooms, while countless parents have gone viral in various videos denouncing such teachings as detrimental to children.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}One Colorado father, Derrick Wilburn, went viral for remarks during a school board meeting last month, when he said he "can think of nothing more damaging to a society than to tell a baby born today, that she has grievances against another baby born today, simply because of what their ancestors may have done two centuries ago."
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"There's simply no point in doing that to our children, and putting critical race theory into our classrooms in part does that. Putting critical theory into our classrooms is not combating racism. It's fanning the flames of what little embers are left. I encourage you to support this resolution. Let racism die the death it deserves."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, in Connecticut, one teacher resigned from her position over her school district's "equity" curriculum.
"They’re so young and naive and that to me was the hardest part about all of this," teacher Jennifer Tafuto told Fox News earlier this week, and said she had contacted 1776 Action earlier this year with her concerns.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We’re taking away that innocence because we’re trying to make them so obsessed with race and a characteristic that they can’t control. I feel so sorry for them. It breaks my heart and I just didn’t want to be a part of it anymore," she said, referring to equity sessions where she was reportedly told to highlight the race of characters in various books.
She subsequently resigned from the school after six years of teaching, and said in a video posted by 1776 Action, " because I felt like more of a political activist than a teacher in my own classroom."
And Tafuto isn’t alone.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Another teacher in Kansas, Josiah Enyart, resigned from his school district this summer over its critical race theory push, coupled with a face mask requirement.
"It’s all critical race theory stuff," Enyart said. "That was kind of the start where I realized, they’re really trying to bring this in and make it something."
CONNECTICUT TEACHER RESIGNS OVER RACIAL CURRICULUM, SAYS IT WAS STEALING KIDS' 'INNOCENCE'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As a teacher, I can see these things, but after talking to hundreds of parents, they can’t. Why wouldn’t the public school system want the parents to know everything that their child is being exposed to? Why aren’t the parents being asked before these decisions are being made? And when they do, why do the board decisions not match the data on the surveys? As a district that prides itself on being ‘data driven,’ they do not seem to be following any real data on any of the issues," he added.
Enyart subsequently pulled his own children from the district after resigning and will homeschool them this coming school year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}1776 Action was launched earlier this year after President Biden signed an executive order abolishing Trump’s 1776 Commission, which worked to "restore honest, patriotic education" but was panned by liberals and the media as "racist" and warping history.
"When I was asked to serve on President Trump's 1776 Commission to help restore truthful, patriotic education I was full of hope," read an email signed by Ben Carson in April. "Then, it was canceled by President Biden on Day One."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A setback for sure, but thankfully our solutions are much closer to home than Washington, D.C. The real power for positive, lasting change is in the hands of parents and other concerned citizens — if only we're willing to put in the effort this truly deserves."
Fox News' Thomas Barrabi and Sam Dorman contributed to this report.