by Debra Heine
A new poll shows that the majority of American voters are deeply opposed to having critical race theory (CRT) principles being taught in schools.
The survey, conducted by Competitive Edge Research for Parents Defending Education, also shows that people overwhelmingly prefer Capitalism to Socialism (61.8% to 31.4%), frown upon “cancel culture,” (62.7% to 10.6%) and believe the United States is headed “on the wrong track” (60.7% to 32.8%).
Additionally, more respondents had a negative opinion of Black Lives Matter, than had a positive opinion (48.1% to 44.4%).
When asked whether they had favorable or unfavorable opinions of the Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King—all of whom have fallen out of favor with the CRT crowd— Americans responded overwhelmingly in favor (81.7%, 89.4%, and 92.1% respectively).
More respondents said Critical Race Theory was not an important topic to teach in schools (38.1%) than those who believed it is somewhat to extremely important (31.6%). A full 30% of the people surveyed didn’t know enough about CRT to have an opinion, but when asked about specific concepts championed by CRT, the vast majority of respondents had a negative opinion.
For instance, 69.7% of respondents did not think schools should teach children that their race is the most important thing about them verses 24.7% who said they should.
When asked if they believe schools should teach that white people are “inherently privileged” and black people are inherently oppressed and victimized, 73.7% of respondents said they should not. Only 9.3% “strongly believed” that the central tenet of CRT should be taught in schools. Another 12.4% “somewhat” believed so.
When asked whether students should be assigned “privileged” or “oppressed” status according to race, again, the vast majority (84.3%) said no. Only 5.7% of respondents believed that CRT tenet should be adopted by schools.
The majority of respondents (68.7%) also said schools should not teach students that America was founded on racism, remains a structurally racist country today, and its racism is the cause of all differences in outcome and achievements between racial groups. Disturbingly, 26% of respondents said that should be taught in America’s schools.
An overwhelming 86.6% of respondents opposed schools teaching the concept that people are natural “oppressors” or victims based on their sex, race, and physical characteristics.
When asked if schools should teach that “achieving racial justice and equality between racial groups requires discriminating against people based on their whiteness,” the vast majority of respondents (84%) said no. Only 6.3% of the people polled thought that was a good idea, and 9.6% were unsure.
Most respondents were also against schools encouraging social justice political activism in the classroom, the creation of student clubs based on race and ethnicity, and changing U.S. history courses to focus on race, power, and promote social justice.
When asked whether schools should hire CRT consultants or administrators to train teachers, school officials and students in Critical Race Theory, and social justice causes, 51.6% said no, 36.8% said yes, and 11.6% were unsure. Based on the previous responses that overwhelmingly unfavorable to CRT concepts, it’s highly probable that many of the 36.8% of respondents who answered yes, were unaware of how toxic CRT is.
Competitive Edge surveyed 808 active voters who were 61.1% white, 8.1% Hispanic, 2% Asian American, 6.8% African American, 1.7% Native American, 7.8% Multi-Ethnic, 8.2% something else, and 1.4% refused to say.
CRT foe Christopher Rufo has put together an exhaustive “briefing book” explaining the key concepts of Critical Race theory on his website.
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Debra Heine reports for American Greatness.
