Granite State Times

A Virginia group is on the front lines of New Hampshire efforts to combat Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools.

1776 Action was launched in March with the support of former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who is black, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. It was formed in opposition to Critical Race Theory’s growing presence in U.S. institutions.

Established in 1989, CRT describes racism as rooted in all aspects of American life, including health care, housing and the criminal system. CRT makes the argument that the systems have been built and protected over many generations that can give white people advantages, sometimes in ways that are not even intentional, and end up disadvantageous to people of color.

The 1776 group aired a 60-second ad in support of “keeping Critical Race Theory out of New Hampshire classrooms” on WMUR-TV. The spot features a clip from Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech where he talks about dreaming of a world where his children are judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin, followed by a message from 1776 Action.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley said the bill’s current language “makes it clear that discrimination has no place in New Hampshire workplaces or classrooms. Under the amendment it would be discrimination to instruct or train public employees or educate New Hampshire students that one group of people is inherently superior or inferior to another or that a certain group of people is inherently racist by virtue of their immutable characteristics,” WMUR reported.

Regarding the proposed legislation, 1776 Action founder Adam Waldeck said “Critical Race Theory-based curriculum, which pits students against one another on the basis of race, is being forced on students all across America. We hope New Hampshire parents see this toxicity for what it is and pressure their elected officials to keep it out of public K-12 classrooms," as reported by WMUR.

The group’s website offers parents an opportunity to sign their pledges and helps organize communities in opposition to critical race theory in their schools.

Parents in New Hampshire released a statement saying that Critical Race Theory “teaches children to judge others not by their character but by their skin color – a complete reversal of the lesson of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. which has been a moral foundation in education for over 50 years.”

House Bill 544 would ban New Hampshire teachers, state employees, and state contractors from teaching concepts that target individuals based on their race, including that, “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex”; that “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously”; that “an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex”; or that “any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex,” Miriam Richards wrote in a Valley News column.