Great Lakes Wire

In recent months Critical Race Theory, or CRT, a viewpoint that says discussing and learning about history can't be done without acknowledging race, has become the hottest political topic aside from gun control and abortion.

In response, many lawmakers are using it as a rallying point, while opposing lawmakers say that it's a nonissue.

Michigan State Rep. Andrew Beeler (R-Dist. 83) has introduced a bill (HB 5097) to ban CRT in Michigan's public schools. He wrote and sponsored the bill.

"The genesis of this bill was a conversation between myself and constituents. They were describing a certain homework assignment that had been assigned to their students," Beeler told Great Lakes Wire. "The content of that assignment was was more or less requiring the students to identify certain stereotypical elements of their race and deconstruct that. And to me, that stuck out as something extremely harmful."

The bill would prohibit state curriculum standards or core curriculum from including learning material that promotes "any form of race or gender stereotyping or anything that could be understood as implicit race or gender stereotyping," the Michigan Legislature website said.

Supporters are already clashing with those who say the bill would effectively censor the classroom and restrict learning opportunities. The viewpoint of supporters is that it would prohibit negative stereotyping of racial or gender groups by instructing students without the added context.

"Establish your own opinion," Beeler told Great Lakes Wire. "If you think that race and gender stereotyping belong in the K-12 curriculum, then you're not going to like the bill, but if you think it's harmful to hold students responsible for historical wrongs given by their race or gender, then you're going to agree with this bill because that's what we're trying to get rid of."

In November, HB 5097 passed the State House of Representatives by a vote of 55-54. All 54 "no" votes were abstentions. On June 8, the State Senate Committee on Education and Career Readiness reported the bill with favor to the full Senate.

Beeler was born in Port Huron, Mich., and attended the U.S. Naval Academy, his website said. He was first elected in November 2020 and is currently running for reelection.