The rise of critical race theory, along with the popularity of the New York Times’s 1619 Project, presents a serious challenge to the concept of “E Pluribus Unum.” According to Richard Reinsch, the editor of Liberty Fund’s Law & Liberty portal, what should be a clear-eyed and sober debate over America’s fundamental character is being ignored in favor of a “one-sided view of American history and law as racist.”
Reinsch argues that though there have been “tremendous problems in our development as a nation” – which Americans “have gone to great efforts to rectify” – educators, teachers, and scholars must nevertheless “be honest about the American Founding” and the country’s “attempts to ensure liberty under the rule of law for every citizen.”
L&L has published numerous essays and a symposium featuring knowledgeable historians and political theorists that “firmly but responsibly” critique 1619’s main tenets. L&L and RealClearFoundation recently hosted a live lecture and Q&A featuring Georgetown professor Joshua Mitchell, who discussed his recent book, “American Awakening,” and spoke about how identity politics distorts Christianity.
