By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
BATON ROUGE, La. (LBM) – Rep. Ray Garofalo has introduced H.B. 564 which would prohibit the teaching of divisive concepts relative to race and sex at publicly funded K-12 schools and postsecondary education institutions.
His legislation addresses a growing push to teach radical ideologies such as the “1619 Project” as well as “critical race theory” and “intersectionality,” even on Christian school campuses:
— The 1619 Project was launched by the New York Times as an effort to redefine the birth of the United States from a fight for liberty in 1776 to an expansion of slavery in 1619 (when a British ship brought 20 Africans captive to Jamestown).
— “Critical race theory” and “intersectionality” are both rooted in Marxist thought (“dethrone God”) and argue that white supremacy is persistent in our country. The first condemns all human systems (law, education, finance) as oppressing people of color, and the second claims all human relationships (intersections of lives) discriminate against people of color, especially LGBT women. Both are used to declare all whites as racists whether they are aware of it (intentional in their actions) or not.
In the abstract of the proposed law Garofalo explained the two intentions of the measure are to ensure that (1) each school “fosters a learning environment and workplace that is respectful of all students and employees,” and (2) no training (for students or employees) “teaches, advocates, acts upon, or promotes divisive concepts, … relative to race and sex.”
