While President Biden rescinded the executive order banning racial equity training and replaced it with one to advance racial equity, opponents to racial justice have introduced upwards of 20 state legislative bills, some passed, that would ban racial equity work in government and education on race in schools. Versions of this argument have now passed as legislation and are already becoming a central debate in countless school districts across the country.

The bills themselves are all vulnerable to court challenges (President Trump’s Executive Order was blocked by a federal judge), but the danger to racial equity is not at the level of policy, but rather narrative. Using slogans like “Stop Racism. Stop Hate” this Orwellian effort to frame the racism discussion as racism against white people is undermining the momentum recently gained by the racial justice movement.

The following guide will help you craft your response to these attacks, whether you are a parent, activist, or government worker.

And if you want to work with Race Forward’s team to develop (and potentially pitch) your story in support of education and training on systemic racism, contact us at [email protected].

More Resources:

• Download the Guide to Counter-Narrating the Attacks on Critical Race Theory
• Read our original press release on the Executive Order.
• Download or link to this crossword puzzle — Puzzled By Racism? — to share with friends!