The View Locks Horns Over Critical Race Theory and Covid Safety in Schools

The View hosts locked horns with guest-host Lindsey Granger while addressing recent hot topics in education, specifically clashing over critical race theory and Covid-19 safety in schools.

Whoopi Goldberg introduced the topic by citing a recent New York Times op-ed that argued the Republican party is using critical race theory as a way to bait voters.

Goldberg shared that the column suggested that Democrats update their platform and their talking points to take the emphasis off education and focus on pushing for better tax cuts and labor unions.

“Yeah, all of that is great. That’s what we should be doing, but you know, the reality is, as a child, a Black child, I learned that there was a part of my history as an American child that was not there,” Goldberg continued. “That no one could give me answers that I needed.”

She went on to highlight options throughout academia for those who do not want to attend college, such as trade schools, where one can gain vocational education or technical skills required for a specific job.

“I think if you’re saying we shouldn’t be talking about — any time somebody says you shouldn’t be talking about this, I want to know why not?” Goldberg added, referring back to the Times op-ed. “Why shouldn’t people be aware there’s something out there that may or may not relate to race?”

Joy Behar then questioned why the column suggests that members of the Republican Party are “pro-educators,” claiming that the GOP is “stopping education.”

Granger argued that while Democrats once emphasized the importance of educating children, the party is now, “concerned about changing the names of schools versus getting kids back in school when we were in the pandemic.”

Granger was referring to the ongoing push to rename schools and institutions that honor controversial historical figures, such as slave owners and Confederate war generals, as a way to reckon with racism in the nation.

Her argument prompted Behar to ask whether she viewed children’s health or education as more important. Granger said she believes the two are equally important.

Granger then faulted schools for requiring masks despite the fact that children often wore them incorrectly, only covering their mouths and not their noses.

“Democrats largely kept them out of schools,” she added.

“No, that’s not true!” Goldberg shot back. “What kept them out of school was omicron and Covid. That’s what kept people out of school. That’s what kept us from going to work.”

Granger pointed to the fact that children in districts where schools were shut down throughout the pandemic were “failing miserably,” again prompting Goldberg to note that students stayed home while experts determined how to bring them back safely.

“I’m sorry. It is not over. It’s not up,” Goldberg said of the pandemic. “But I know that nobody went to work, nobody went to school. Everybody was cranky and that’s what it was. But, what kept people out of the buildings and out of their schools was this idea that there was something out there that we hadn’t dealt with before in our lifetime that was killing people.”

“The science has changed. We know more now,” Sunny Hostin said. “People are vaccinated and children are vaccinated. I think that has changed.”

Hostin agreed with Granger on the fact that the Republican platform has a new focus on parental rights and child education, adding, “17.7 million public school students have had their learning restricted by local and state policies, and so, I think Democrats do need to change the narrative.”

She noted that critical race theory is generally absent from K through 12 curriculums and is instead taught in law schools, faulting Republicans for focusing on an issue that doesn’t really exist.

“Learning a trade or getting an education is the great equalizer in this country,” she continued. “It was the great equalizer for me and that’s why, historically, White people didn’t want Black people to have an education cause we wouldn’t have Ketanji Brown Jackson without education.”

Watch above, via ABC.