State Rep. Collins: Varying definitions of ‘Critical Race Theory’ will make legislation to ban it ‘extremely difficult’

Given it has become the hot political topic of the day, the attention given to Critical Race Theory in Alabama regarding public schools should come as no surprise.

The issue has led State Rep. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile) to file legislation to ban the teaching of the theory, which argues all the country’s institutions are racist to some degree in Alabama’s schools.

State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur), the House Education Policy Committee chairwoman, warns that could prove difficult given what she says is an inability to precisely define Critical Race Theory.

“It has become quite a media issue and political issue,” she said. “I have been researching a little bit just like, I guess, a lot of people have. And it is going to be a hard issue because there doesn’t seem to be one set definition. It seems to me whatever or whoever is saying it means. And therefore, to do legislation about it is going to be a challenge. I understand some of the concerns on all the different sides. It seemed a lot to me, as I read things, there seems to be some intent for one side to unscramble the scrambled eggs, which I don’t believe can be done. I think you stay where you are, and you move forward to the very best of your ability. And that’s my opinion about that.”

“But then on the other side, I think that we’re sometimes limit discussion of the issues, and I think understanding and knowing why and how our history happened helps us from repeating that history,” Collins continued. “Representative Pringle called me when it was happening, and you know, it’s a new political buzzword, football or whatever. But anyway, I said, ‘Yeah, file the bill, and we’ll talk about it. ‘ I know I had the state school board call me, several members, and tell me they were also working on that. So, I’ll be anxious to see how that goes. I think because there is not a clear set definition, that it is going to be hard — everybody is going to be meaning something else when they’re talking about it. And that will make it extremely difficult.”

Collins said it was her hope that the Critical Race Theory debate did not distract from more important areas in public education.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.