History Unclassified Chilling Affects The Far Right Takes Aim at Black History

Introduction

• The author, Woody Holton, a US history teacher, recounts an incident in January 2022 where a parent complained about The 1619 Project on the syllabus.

  • The author sees this message as a reflection on academic freedom.

The 1619 Project and Initial Reactions

• Holton tweeted images of 76 founding-era documents to support the claim that African Americans offered to fight for the British in exchange for freedom in 1774.

• Most students sided with The 1619 Project, requiring Holton to present opposing views.

Legislative Actions and the Debate Over CRT

• During early 2022, South Carolina House debated five bills to prohibit K–12 teachers from assigning books that might cause white students to feel guilty.

  • Two bills specifically targeted The 1619 Project.

  • Other bills aimed to outlaw the teaching of “critical race theory” (CRT).

• The author joined hundreds of South Carolinians in opposing these book bans.

Criticism of The 1619 Project

• The 1619 Project gained significant readership after its release in August 2019 as a New York Times Magazine special issue and later as a best-selling book in 2021.

• Critics allege the project contains errors, is overly focused on grievances, and presents a gloomy view of the U.S.

• Some critics argue that the project prioritizes class over race and North America over the Atlantic world, and is unkind to the Founding Fathers and white abolitionists.

• Liberal historians like Gordon S. Wood and Sean Wilentz also critiqued it, with some suggesting it downplayed African American agency.

• Daryl Michael Scott noted the project ended a “moratorium on depicting African Americans as victims.”

Legislative Bans and the Expansion of CRT Definition

• Starting in January 2021, lawmakers in 15 states introduced bills to ban The 1619 Project from public schools.

  • Texas and Florida enacted the ban.

• Opponents of CRT claim that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed teachers indoctrinating students with anti-American sentiment.

• CRT is described as growing out of critical legal studies (CLS), focusing on underlying structures rather than individuals.

  • CRT seeks to shift analysis away from individuals and toward underlying structures.

The Politicization of CRT

• In 2020, right-wing politicians and media personalities broadened the definition of CRT to include anything considered “divisive.”

• Christopher F. Rufo claimed credit for turning CRT into a mass-market brand, inviting conservatives to categorize various “cultural insanities” under it.

• President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning “divisive concepts” from DEI trainings for federal workers.

Media Influence and the Focus on DEI

• Fox News significantly increased its references to CRT between 2019 and 2021.

• The Washington Times also sharply increased its mentions of CRT during the same period.

• Attacks extend beyond African American history, with laws targeting “gender or sexual diversity training.”

The Rise of