Parents dispute media narrative that critical race theory is not in schools: 'Ridiculous,' 'a joke'

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Dr. Carol Swain: Marxist-based ideologies are 'destroying American education'

'Black Eye for America' co-author Dr. Carol Swain joined 'Fox & Friends Weekend' co-host Pete Hegseth to discuss how critical race theory and woke culture has infiltrated education nationwide.

RICHMOND, Va. -- Parents, activists and academic scholars at Fox Nation's "MisEducation of America" summit in Richmond, Virginia, hosted by "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Pete Hegseth, last week disputed the progressive media narrative that the controversial critical race theory (CRT) is not taught in K-12 schools. 

Left-leaning outlets like CNN and MSNBC have argued that CRT, based on the notion U.S. institutions are inherently racist, is only saved for college-level courses. CNN reporter Eva McKend repeated the claim while reporting on the Virginia gubernatorial race in November and the factor it played in Republican Glenn Youngkin's win. 

"I do think that it's worth noting, though, that in the last several weeks, this issue of critical race theory, even though it is not being taught in Virginia public schools, it became so core in this race," McKend said. 

The hosts of MSNBC's "Into America" podcast claimed in July that "almost everything these people are saying about critical race theory is wrong. It’s not taught in K- through-12 schools, it doesn’t say that people are inherently racist due to their genetics, and it’s not a ‘Marxist doctrine.’"  

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But research from several analysts and skeptics suggest that CRT has made subtle appearances in Virginia schools, finding that the phrase "critical race theory" even appears on the Virginia Department of Education's website. Additionally, in 2019, a memo sent by a superintendent promoted CRT and the idea of "White fragility," while another endorsed "Foundations of Critical Race Theory in Education" as an important "tool" that can "further spur developments in education." Loudoun County officials also admitted over the summer that CRT often influences their work.

A woman holds up her sign against Critical Race Theory (CRT) being taught during a Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) board meeting in Ashburn, Virginia, on October 12, 2021. 

But progressives continue to hammer home the notion that CRT is left out of K-12 curricula.

"That is the most ridiculous argument," former Vanderbilt University professor and author Carol Swain told Fox News Digital at last Thursday's summit. Swain argued that while the most notable CRT authors aren't found on classroom shelves, their ideas are present in other ways. 

"There are numerous examples of this concept that came from the theorists in law schools – Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado, Kimberlé Crenshaw, that have been distilled into children’s books," she said.  

Those children’s books, Swain said, "are written in such a way to evoke White guilt and minority shame." Swain suggested the theory often calls itself different names, such as "culturally sensitive learning" or "social equity." 

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"And so it’s definitely in the classroom, and they can even take a historical moment that was something that we’re proud of, like the civil rights movement, and twist it in such a way by cherry-picking the concept and that historical moment that it does the opposite of what it should do. It should make us proud as Americans," she continued. "What they do is shame and bully people. So it is definitely in the K-12 education ram." 

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo has identified Anastasia Higginbotham's "Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness (Ordinary Terrible Things)" as one of the race-based children's books in schools. The book reads, in part, "Racism is a White person's problem, and we are all caught up in it."  

Swain found CRT to be included in class games as well, saying she recently stumbled across a school in Fairfax, Virginia, having students play "privilege bingo," where children got certain points if they were White, if they were military, etc.

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"There’s plenty of evidence that critical race theory is being taught in schools," Florida mom and activist Quisha King agreed. "I think at this point it is a joke if anybody says that critical race theory is not being taught." 

Like Swain, King said she was not saying that the kids are physically opening Richard Delgado’s critical race theory book. It's integrated in the classroom more subtly, she suggested. 

"They are reading the K-12 version of critical race theory, which is boiled down to this oppressor or oppressed talk. … It is a dwindled-down teaching of the theory. It is absolutely there," King said. 

"It’s not just in schools," she added. "It’s in churches, it’s in corporations. It’s everywhere…it’s obvious at this point."

An even mix of proponents and opponents to teaching Critical Race Theory are in attendance as the Placentia Yorba Linda School Board in Orange County, California, discusses a proposed resolution to ban it from being taught in schools. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Jessica Mendez of Fight for Schools shared similar qualms about CRT, saying "it's a way of looking at the students and telling them, this is the list of if you're an oppressor, this is the list if you’re the oppressed."

"It's not a class like math and science and English. Of course not," Mendez said. "But it's how they are supposed to view their students and what they're supposed to be teaching them through the lesson plan, that's like a lens of looking at them and teaching them."

And she said she had receipts from her daughter's school in Loudoun County.

"We have receipts from Loudoun County Public Schools that show charges by The Equity Collaborative," Mendez told Fox News Digital, speaking of a racial equity consulting firm. "Our former superintendent admitted it in writing. I believe at least one of the school board members has admitted it in writing too. The equity director provided a chart of Oppressor v. Oppressed at teacher trainings. My daughter had an assignment for ‘how to be an anti-racist leader.’"

The Equity Collaborative was contracted to conduct a study of equity throughout the district in 2019 and found deep disparity in academic performance in the school system and a low level of racial literacy, concluding systemic racism was prevalent. Then-Interim Superintendent Scott Ziegler defended the study last June, saying it helped officials better understand students' needs and that CRT is "not a part of the curriculum."

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Swain was adamant in saying CRT is a "racist" idea that "argues that all White people are oppressors, that all White people have a property interest in their whiteness, meaning that they have something of great value that no one else has."  She argued that CRT provides the opposite message that the late Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to send during his impactful lifetime.

"CRT discriminates against people because of the color of their skin," she said. "It does not want people judged by the content of their character."

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Mendez echoed her notion, suggesting that the theory is tainting children's colorblind innocence.

"Little kids, do they see color?" she asked. "No, that is something that is taught. We all bleed the same. They don’t see it." 

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.