The North Monterey County Unified School District in California has introduced a new ethnic studies course that is now a graduation requirement for students graduating in 2029 and beyond. The course includes teachings on critical race theory and asserts that America is an 'imperial colonizer' while discussing the discrimination against Muslims following the events of September 11, 2001. The course materials, which were shared by Defending Education, indicate that students will explore themes of power, privilege, and oppression throughout American history.
The course was approved during a school board meeting on July 23 and began instruction on August 11. It aims to provide students with knowledge and skills for transformational change and civic engagement, focusing on historical and contemporary power structures.
One unit of the course discusses the impact of 9/11 on Muslim communities, stating that it served as a catalyst for increased discrimination. The course materials reference Osama bin Laden's 'Letter to America' as evidence of U.S. targeting of Muslim communities. Rhyen Staley, director of research at Defending Education, criticized the course for promoting a binary view of Western culture and the United States, suggesting it instills contempt for these subjects in students. The Washington Examiner reached out to the school district for further comment.