North Carolina
North Carolina has seen an expansion of CRT in K-12 as well as higher education in 2021. The State Board of Education (SBOE) expanded CRT in its updated social studies standards for K-12 in March 2021. Significant pushback from parents at the local school board level has been met with parents being kicked out of meetings. At the college level, not only have individual institutions expanded their social justice, anti-racism, and anti-bias initiatives, the University of North Carolina System has formed the UNC System Racial Equity Task Force.
K-12 Education
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson formed a Critical Race Theory Task Force in March 2021. The first report was released in August, and found that CRT is a “way bigger problem” than they thought. A bill banning CRT in public education passed in both houses of the legislature, but the governor vetoed it; meanwhile, the state Board of Education advanced new social studies standards requiring lessons on race and racism in America. At the district level, parents who attend board meetings have been removed by law enforcement when they speak out against CRT in schools. A rural school board voted unanimously in September to ban elements of CRT in K-12 classes, in seeming contradiction of state school board policy:
A school board in North Carolina passed a policy banning critical race theory from its classrooms, after county commissioners threatened to withhold $7.9m in funding.
In Johnston county, the school board unanimously approved an updated policy on how history and racism will be taught.
Educators can now be disciplined or fired if they teach that American historical figures were not heroes, challenge the constitution or describe racism as a permanent aspect of American life. (source)
Higher Education
In 2020, the UNC System formed the Racial Equity Task force:
The UNC Board of Governors established the task force to examine the legacy of race and racism in North Carolina’s public higher education system, how that history shapes and impacts the experiences of our students, faculty, staff, and communities, and arrive at an actionable path forward that will build a culture of inclusion across our institutions. (source)