Gov. Noem Signs Executive Order Blocking Federal Critical Race Theory Grants

Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order Thursday that bars officials in the South Dakota Department of Education from applying for any federal grants in history or civics related to critical race theory (CRT) until after the 2022 South Dakota legislative session.

A press release from Noem’s office says that Executive Order 2021-11 “directs the South Dakota Department of Education to refrain from applying for any federal grants tied to critical race theory.” The issue was discussed in a debate for Sioux Falls school board candidates in May.

“Critical race theory has no place in South Dakota schools. These ideas are un-American. We are ‘one nation, under God, indivisible,’ yet critical race theory seeks to divide us based on inaccurate revisions to our nation’s history,” Governor Kristi Noem said in a recent press release. “Our students should learn America’s true history by studying both our triumphs and our mistakes. Only then will students learn that America remains the shining example of exceptionalism throughout the history of the world.”

The press release also mentions that the US Department of Education removed all references to the 1619 Project and Ibram Kendi from their American History and Civics-National Activities Grants, but that they have still kept many allusions to the divisive nature of the revisionist historical theory.