MADISON – Today, the Wisconsin State Legislature met for the first time this fall to take up a host of Republican bills to continue the effort to further divide Wisconsinites and promote unproductive culture wars. Representative Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) released the following statement about the politically motivated Republican agenda.
“My Republican colleagues decided to make their fall legislative agenda about dividing Wisconsin and undermining the governor. Today, we saw the worst of Wisconsin politics. Republicans in the majority went on the offensive to promote fear and misinformation instead of helping hard-working families. These misplaced priorities do nothing to serve the people of our state. We can do so much better than this.”
Hesselbein referenced Assembly Bill 411 (AB 411) related to anti-racism and anti-sexism pupil instruction, also known as Critical Race Theory. AB 411 aims to punish school districts that teach any material related to a broad set of nearly a hundred terms. The list of terms include the following: Critical Race Theory (CRT), Action Civics, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Culturally responsive teaching, Abolitionist teaching, Affinity groups, Anti-racism, Anti-bias training, Anti-blackness, Anti-meritocracy, Obtuse meritocracy, Centering or de-centering, Collective guilt, Colorism, Conscious and unconscious bias, Critical ethnic studies, Critical pedagogy, Critical self-awareness, Critical self-reflection, Cultural appropriation/misappropriation, Cultural awareness, Cultural competence, Cultural proficiency, Cultural relevance, Cultural responsiveness, Culturally responsive practices, De-centering whiteness, Deconstruct knowledges, Diversity focused, Diversity training, Dominant discourses, Educational justice, Equitable, Equity, Examine “systems”, Free radical therapy, Free radical self/collective care, Hegemony, Identity deconstruction, Implicit/Explicit bias, Inclusivity education, Institutional bias, Institutional oppression, Internalized racial superiority, Internalized racism, Internalized white supremacy, Interrupting racism, Intersection, Intersectionality, Intersectional identities, Intersectional studies, Land acknowledgment, Marginalized identities, Marginalized/Minoritized/Under-represented communities, Microaggressions, Multiculturalism, Neo-segregation, Normativity, Oppressor vs. oppressed, Patriarchy, Protect vulnerable identities, Race essentialism, Racial healing, Racialized identity, Racial justice, Racial prejudice, Racial sensitivity training, Racial supremacy, Reflective exercises, Representation and inclusion, Restorative justice, Restorative practices, Social justice, Spirit murdering, Structural bias, Structural inequity, Structural racism, Systemic bias, Systemic oppression, Systemic racism, Systems of power and oppression, Unconscious bias, White fragility, White privilege, White social capital, White supremacy, Whiteness, and Woke.
Any mention of the terms listed above could lead to a lawsuit against a local school district. Further, a school district could lose 10% of its funding following potential accusations. There is no evidence that Critical Race Theory is taught in Wisconsin K-12 schools.
