dei is not crt
The Ohio House introduced House Bill 322, the Anti-Critical Race Theory Bill, on May 25, 2021, by Representative Don Jones and over 20 Republican co-sponsors. The bill was accepted on June 10th, 2021 to the State and Local Government Committee. This bill co-opts and weaponizes the research of professors and scholars that co-founded the field of Critical Race Theory.
The Ohio Women's Alliance and The Ohio Women's Alliance Action Fund stand staunchly against House Bill 322, better known as Anti-Critical Race Theory Bill because the history, the lived experience, and the current social, political and racial justice uprising led by people of color, especially Black women and young folks, are valid, accurate, and deserve placement within our Ohio schools curriculum.
DEI is diversity, equality (not equity), and inclusion, meaning this curriculum is only about superficial representation and not equity. Equity is the treatment of fairness without impartiality. Without CRT, the research, and the more profound understanding of the true history, the impact, resilience, innovation, and brilliance of Black people to overcome despite being forced to be a part of a system meant to keep them enslaved is no accountability. And therefore, DEI does not exist without CRT. There is no Black Lives Matter, there is no "Defund the Police, and the understanding of systemic racism in our lives. It is also more than just about our life experiences; this is actually about calling out a system designed to function exactly how it is functioning. Without CRT, there is no restitution nor accountability of white supremacy and the enslavement of African people. We cannot hold a mirror to ourselves within the Black community about how this system has forced us to internalize anti-Blackness to survive. We at The Ohio Women's Alliance acknowledge these stark differences, and we ask that all of Ohio stand in solidarity with us, not only against House Bill 322 but also against the idea that DEI is enough.
House Bill 322, better known as the Anti-Critical Race Theory bill, should not exist in Ohio. Let's be clear; this bill is not about exposing children to harmful or hard-to-understand topics. The Ohio Legislature formulated this bill to affront those who have been historically oppressed. HB 322 will legally prohibit and limit full expression and representation. Rather than tackle the many educational issues within the state that disproportionately impact children of color, they choose to decide what truth and history look like for our most vulnerable. The governing would waste time, resources, and tax-paying dollars, further disenfranchising and disempowering our children that they took an oath to protect.
The existence of House Bill 322 signifies to the youth, people of color, and womxn across Ohio that our history isn't important to liberate but important enough to ban. HB 322 prohibits the staunch honest history, the impacts of racism, and the contributions of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI people. This Anti-Critical Race Theory Bill minimizes the vast impact that Black Americans have contributed to this country. There is no part of American life that Blackness has not created, influenced, or touched, including cuisine, arts, music, technology, and are the country's economic backbone and labor force for the past 400 years.
The AAPI community was instrumental in laying the foundation for America's modern infrastructure. From the 1880s to-1970s, many AAPI people immigrated to the United States to modernize this country, especially around our roads, highways, and the building of skyscrapers in most American cities. The AAPI community is and will always be instrumental in making America a superpower.
Black history, Brown history, Indigenous history, and AAPI history is American history.