NAACP sharpens stance against efforts to limit education about racism and slavery

More than 1,000 delegates to the NAACP annual convention in Boston voted Monday to sharpen the organization’s stance against conservative efforts to limit discussions of race and slavery in American education.

During a daylong business meeting at the convention center in the Seaport, the delegates debated, amended and approved dozens of resolutions that govern the organization’s policy positions on issues ranging from civil rights to education and economic equity.

Last year the NAACP had passed a resolution condemning “censorship legislation” that limits what can be taught about racism and “propagandizes theory and practice including but not limited to Critical Race Theory (CRT), the 1619 Project, and fundamental language used to describe diverse and marginalized students.”

But Monday the organization added new language directly condemning attempts to outlaw the teaching of critical race theory as “a political wedge issue, intended to mobilize around xenophobia.” Since the theory is not taught in K-12 schools, the resolution notes, the bills are “without merit” and “instead of wasting time and energy on frivolous political posturing, lawmakers should pass laws that work to dismantle systemic racism in education and elsewhere.”

The new resolution specifically alleges that “the term ‘CRT‘ has been co-opted by those bent on preventing the accurate teaching of American history, specifically the roles that Black Americans and people of color, and other minorities, played in that history.”

Delegates narrowly rejected an amendment to the language that would have raised concerns specifically about Florida, where the state has adopted new education standards for how slavery can be taught in public schools, including the requirement that “instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” But the convention decided against the language, in part because legislative proposals to limit education about race and racism are being introduced all over the country. Last year’s NAACP resolution noted that bills of this nature had been proposed “in more than 25 states.” The new language boosts that number to “more than 45 states.”

The convention also approved a half dozen other education resolutions, including language to boost historically Black colleges and universities and to expand Black students’ access to extracurricular activities.

The NAACP convention wraps up Tuesday after nearly a full week of events that brought an estimated 10,000 people to Boston. As part of the continued emphasis on education, leaders have several events planned with teachers' unions, including a book giveaway Tuesday afternoon with books that have been banned in various states because of refernces to sexual or racial themes.