Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota may not be the most rock-ribbed of conservatives, but she, too, has licked her finder, thrown it in the wind, recognized which way the wind is blowing, and boarded the anti-CRT train.
She just signed an executive order prohibiting critical race theory from being taught in South Dakota public schools.
The presidential order attempted to prohibit critical race theory from being taught in K-12 state schools.
The ruling directs the state Department of Education to conduct a review of instructional materials for controversial racial notions.
In a statement on the executive order, what it would do, and why it is important, Governor Noem stressed that political indoctrination has no place in schools. The children will not be taught that they are racists or victims, nor will they be forced to feel responsible for their forefathers’ mistakes. We will ensure that our pupils study the genuine and honest history of America, which includes both our accomplishments and failures.
Critical Race Theory has no place in our South Dakota public education.
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) April 5, 2022
That’s why yesterday I announced I will be signing an executive order to ban the teachings in our K-12 schools. pic.twitter.com/nPYye6E4oT
The presidential order clearly specifies which beliefs are fundamentally divisive and hence violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That would include statements that anything, such as race or gender, renders someone superior or inherently racist, as is the case in the context of the CRT debate. Claims that a person’s race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin make them inherently superior or racist, for example.
To prevent the spread of such inherently divisive concepts, the executive order prohibits the South Dakota Department of Education from requiring its employees to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to such concepts, and requires the South Dakota Board of Education to ensure that such concepts are not taught.
As of March, at least 15 more states had enacted prohibitions or executive orders restricting or prohibiting CRT in public schools. On March 14, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed SB 2113 into law, making Mississippi one of the most recent states to do so.
