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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, With the ongoing police shootings and the
3post-George Floyd movement, it is imperative Congress makes
4federal grants available for President Biden's push for
5teaching critical race theory in schools and to law
6enforcement; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Critical race theory critiques how the social
8construction of race and institutionalized racism perpetuate a
9racial caste system that relegates people of color to the
10bottom tiers of society; it also recognizes that race
11intersects with other identities, including sexuality, gender
12identity, and others; critical race theory acknowledges that
13the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of
14second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people
15of color continues to permeate the social fabric of this
16nation; and
 
17    WHEREAS, 70 years after Brown V. Board of Education, many
18children still attend segregated schools; there are continual
19funding disparities between majority Black and majority White
20schools; BIPOC, or Black, Indigenous, and people of color,
21students are disproportionately suspended and funneled into
22special education programs; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The majority of principals and teachers are
2White, even as their students are not; this means that many
3administrators are unable to fully perceive how racism
4operates without specific training; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Critical race theory calls upon principals and
6teachers to examine how history, politics, culture, and
7economics inform our understanding of race, racism, and other
8forms of marginalization; without this framework, principals
9and teachers may be committed to racial justice but be unable
10to translate their commitments into action; and
 
11    WHEREAS, By recognizing how race and racism shape our
12institutions, principals and teachers can find innovative ways
13to value the lived experiences of BIPOC families, prioritize
14the recruitment and retention of BIPOC faculty and staff,
15elevate the voices and experiential knowledge of BIPOC, adopt
16culturally responsive teaching practices and historically
17accurate U.S. history curriculum, and embrace the traditions
18of the communities in which they work; and
 
19    WHEREAS, As in the field of education, teaching critical
20race theory to law enforcement officers would have incredible
21benefits; many of our nation's systems and structures,
22including the legal system, were created when people of color
23were denied full participation in American society; many law

 

 

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1enforcement officers do not understand how the justice system
2was shaped and continues to work against people of color; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Taking critical race theory courses helps law
4enforcement officers come face-to-face with the reality that,
5not too long ago, police officers played an active role in the
6enforcement of many of the discriminatory and racist laws of
7the time; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Many law enforcement departments do not reflect
9the diverse population they serve; with critical race theory,
10law enforcement officers can understand the history of BIPOC
11citizens and see how they were and are viewed by the people in
12the community they serve; and
 
13    WHEREAS, A new rule proposed by the U.S. Education
14Department states financial grants could be used to encourage
15schools to "incorporate teaching and learning practices that
16reflect the diversity, identities, histories, contributions,
17and experiences of all students"; and
 
18    WHEREAS, The use of federal grants to encourage the
19teaching of critical race theory to students and to law
20enforcement would be a critical step forward in the fight to
21dismantle racist structures and systems that are still present
22in our nation; therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
2HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3we urge the Congress of the United States to make available to
4schools and law enforcement agencies federal grants which
5support the teaching of critical race theory; and be it
6further
 
7    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
8presented to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy
9Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and all members
10of Congress.