With the Republican crusade against critical race theory still on full blast in states and localities across the country, I thought it was worth sharing the results of a new CBS poll on race and education that sheds a good deal of light on where the public actually stands on these issues.
The survey, conducted this month, asked respondents to weigh in on the impact of teaching about race. When asked if “teaching about race in America makes students understand what others went through,” 68 percent of Americans said yes. When asked if this teaching made students “feel guilty about past generations,” 23 percent agreed. Just 16 percent of respondents said that teaching about race makes current students “less racially tolerant.”
When asked if books should ever be banned for “discussing race” or “depicting slavery,” an overwhelming 87 percent of Americans said no. A similarly large percentage said no when asked if books should be banned for “criticizing U.S. history” or sharing “political ideas you disagree with.” And 58 percent of Americans, including 52 percent of white Americans, say that racism is a “major problem” in America today.
Among the most notable results in the poll is the fact that most Americans — 65 percent — have heard either “a little” or “nothing” about critical race theory. Among those with an opinion on the matter, 49 percent hold a very or somewhat favorable view versus 51 percent with a very or somewhat unfavorable view.
The upshot of all of this, as far as I can tell, is that Republicans aren’t capturing the public mood on this issue as much as they are successfully using it to mobilize their supporters and send them to the voting booth. This is what appears to have happened in Virginia, where Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate for governor, rode conservative backlash to C.R.T. to a narrow victory. But most Virginians aren’t on board with this cultural agenda. As a result, after one month in office, Youngkin is underwater with Virginians, who oppose his effort to ban critical race theory.
For Democrats, then, this is a culture war they can win. They just have to fight it.
What I Wrote
I took Tuesday off, but I had a column this Friday, on the balance of power within the Democratic Party and why moderate and conservative Democratic lawmakers must shoulder their fair share of blame for Democrats’ current political woes.
The House voted and the bill passed. Moderates had their win. But rather than go on the offensive, infrastructure spending in hand, they sat quiet. There would be no publicity blitz, no attempt to capture the nation’s attention with a campaign to sell the accomplishments of moderation, no attempt to elevate members who might shine in the spotlight, and certainly no serious attempt to push back on the right-wing cultural politics that helped Republicans notch a win in Virginia.
And in the latest episode of my podcast on the political thrillers of the 1990s, my co-host John Ganz and I talked about the 1990 John le Carré adaptation “The Russia House.”
Now Reading
Masha Gessen on the Ukraine crisis in The New Yorker.
Casey Michel on Vladimir Putin for The New Republic.
Ariel Dorfman on the fight for constitutional reform in Chile, for The New York Review of Books.
Nia Evans on police rhetoric for Boston Review.
Adam Kotsko on the pandemic-era writings of the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben, for Slate magazine.
Photo of the Week
I took this about five years ago at the Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore with a camera I regrettably no longer own. The statue, “Meditation,” is a creation of Hans Schuler, a prominent German-born American sculptor who was active from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th. The cloaked figure resembles that of the Adams Memorial at the Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington. That figure, sculpted by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, is an incredible work of American statuary and worth seeing if and when you are in the nation’s capital.
Now Eating: Spicy Peanut Stew With Ginger and Tomato
A warm, comforting, African-inspired stew for cold days. The recipe calls for eggplant and zucchini but you can easily substitute whatever vegetable (or legume) you prefer. Sweet potatoes and carrots would work, and butternut squash and chickpeas would make for an incredibly filling meal. Don’t skimp on the peanut butter, and if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, you can use chicken stock instead of water or vegetable stock. Serve over jasmine rice or, as I prefer, with freshly made roti. Recipe from NYT Cooking.
Ingredients
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1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
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1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 teaspoon ground coriander
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¼ teaspoon turmeric
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⅛ teaspoon cayenne
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¼ cup peanut oil
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2 shallots, thinly sliced
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2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
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1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
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1 onion, chopped
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⅓ cup tomato paste
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1 small (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably roasted
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4 cups vegetable stock or water
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½ cup natural unsweetened peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
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1 medium-size zucchini, 6 to 8 ounces, cut in quarters lengthwise, then sliced ½-inch thick
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2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 to 2 lemons)
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⅓ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
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Chopped roasted salted peanuts, for garnish (optional)
Directions
In a colander, toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt; set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain well and set aside. In a small bowl, combine cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne; set aside.
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and fry, stirring often, until soft, crisp and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a large bowl, leaving oil in pot. Raise heat to high and add eggplant. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and just tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with shallots.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add ginger and chiles and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add spices and cook, stirring, 30 seconds more. Add onion and cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add diced tomatoes, stock or water, eggplant, shallots and a sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Place peanut butter in a medium bowl, add one or two ladlefuls of hot soup, and stir until emulsified, then pour mixture back into soup.
Reduce heat to a simmer, add zucchini, cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Let cool slightly and taste; add salt if necessary. Serve in bowls with rice, garnished with cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts if desired.
