Texas school district returns book to shelves after canceling author’s visit

A children’s book controversy in the suburbs of Houston, Texas came to an end when the local school district reinstated a book and promised to reschedule a virtual appearance by its author.

The Katy Independent School District said it returned the children’s book, “New Kid” and its sequel, “Class Act,” to its schools’ bookshelves after reviewing the books for 15 days. A review committee commissioned by the district said the book was deemed appropriate and did not espouse supportive views of Critical Race Theory, which some parents claimed it had.

The district told NBC News that the author’s virtual visit to Roosevelt Alexander Elementary School was rescheduled for October 25 and that library books within the district are “routinely reviewed through this process.”

The author, Jerry Craft, is a black male and had won several literary awards, such as the 2020 Newbery Medal, the Coretta Scott King Author Award, and the Kirkus Prize.

Ironically, the online petition to cancel Craft’s virtual visit has since been deleted.

Texas is one of several states which have banned the teaching of Critical Race Theory in its public schools, which ban was signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

Critical Race Theory is the flawed theory which claims all longtime or established American institutions, whether they be political, legal, or educational, are inherently racist and are biased against black Americans. It promotes the unproven argument that America has not progressed from the allegedly embedded racism in these institutions, despite history proving the theory and its supporters wrong.

The controversy was not an isolated event. Parents across the country protested against Critical Race Theory dogma being included in public education curriculum, notably the northern Virginia suburbs of Loudoun County.

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