The Texas GOP is giving the game away

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called a special legislative session in early July. One of the topics included on the agenda was “critical race theory,” which is addressed in a bill recently passed by the state Senate. With Democrats preventing quorum in the House, it’s not likely to pass before the end of the special session in August (World Travel & Tourism Council / CC-BY 2.0 Generic)

Though I’m not usually in the habit of giving advice to my political enemies, here’s a tip for Texas Republicans: When your opponents say that your ginned-up nonsense about Critical Race Theory is just cover for attacking anti-racism education in schools, don’t do the exact thing you’re being accused of. The GOP-dominated state Senate just voted on a bill stripping away curriculum requirements, including a clause that requires educators to teach the history of white supremacy and “ways in which it is morally wrong.”

Frankly, this is an extremely low bar to cross. The original bill passed in the House specifies eugenics, slavery and the KKK as examples of white supremacy. It shouldn’t be controversial to mandate that teachers portray the greatest evils in this country’s history as “morally wrong,” but here we are.

In the Senate bill, required readings by members of historically marginalized groups are also removed, including Frederick Douglass’ slave narrative and Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.