PIERRE, South Dakota (LifeSiteNews) – Conservative South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order on Tuesday prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory in K–12 schools throughout the Mount Rushmore State.
“Political indoctrination has no place in our classrooms,” the governor said. “Our children will not be taught that they are racists or that they are victims, and they will not be compelled to feel responsible for the mistakes of their ancestors. We will guarantee that our students learn America’s true and honest history—that includes both our triumphs and our mistakes.”
The executive order directs the secretary of education to review all policies, materials, and training within the Department of Education. Any that “promote or endorse inherently divisive concepts” will be ended by October 1.
According to the instruction, “inherently divisive concepts” are any that violate the 1964 Civil Rights Act by indicating that one race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin is inherently superior to others, or that individuals living today are responsible for any past discriminatory actions committed by members of the same race.
South Dakota joins nine other states in enacting laws prohibiting the teaching of CRT, including Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina.
The executive order for primary and secondary schools comes after Noem had previously signed into law a prohibition on mandatory CRT training for colleges in South Dakota. Even before that, the governor had blocked federal grants for civics and history programs due to their links to CRT.