Recent polling conducted from June 19-22 by Beacon Research and Shaw & Co. of the 1,001 voters shows that less than half of them are familiar with critical race theory (CRT) with 49% expressed familiarity with the curriculum, while 41% were unfamiliar and 10% couldn’t say. This comes as the debate surrounding the controversial curriculum grows, pitting parents against school board and teacher unions across the nation.
When asked how well they believe CRT describes how American society works, only 27% of all respondents said extremely or very well, while 41% said not well or not at all. Among those who expressed having knowledge of CRT, 42% held the opinion that it describes American society well/very well, while 47% took the opposing view.
Among all polled voters, only 25% favor teaching the curriculum, while 33% oppose doing so. But again, understanding what CRT is makes a difference: among those who expressed familiarity with CRT, those numbers shifted with 37% in favor of teaching it, and 43% oppose teaching it.
There’s lot of room for both sides to educate the public, though these numbers show the far left pushing CRT benefits from ignorance. Once Americans know what CRT is, they’re adamantly opposed. To win this debate, however, those committed to keeping CRT out of schools must first effectively and clearly define it. Educating parents on what it is will be more than half the battle.
