Two groups gathered outside the Loudoun County Public School Board meeting on Sept. 13—one showing support for critical race theory, the other opposed.
The rally against was called Eraced. Organizer and Army of Parents co-founder Elicia Brand said they “see mankind as one blood and equally valuable.”
She introduced John K. Amanchukwu Sr., a former college football player turned pastor, speaker and author of the book “Eraced: Uncovering the Lies of Critical Race Theory and Abortion.”
“His message is about loving all people of mankind with one blood as human beings. One race, one color and still respecting people’s cultural backgrounds,” Brand said. “We are all about love and respect and we don’t believe CRT is respectful. We believe it is racist, and we believe racism is a sin. Racism of any kind. We want to embrace history and slavery and racism and the conversations around those to eradicate racism, but we want to do it through compassion, love, understanding, teaching and forgiveness. And that is not what CRT is. It is vengeful, its’ divisive and its racist.”
She said they were at the meeting to appeal to the School Board and said they were thrilled to see the other side at the rally and hoped they could come together for the children.
“We may not agree on everything, but we definitely agree that we love our kids and we find to the center ground,” said Brand.
Amanchukwu said of the reason he was at the rally, “I’m against white supremacy, but I’m also against Black supremacy. I’m for God’s supremacy. I’m starting a movement. I want to unite America.”
Meanwhile Heather Gottlieb, organizer of the pro-CRT rally, showed up with supporters who she said came together because they felt passionately about the message.
“We are small but mighty. These are parents, these are products of Loudoun County Public Schools and people who live in Loudoun County and just wanted to show up,” said Gottlieb.
She said she took the day off to be at the rally because she couldn’t sit back and do nothing. She said was happy with the turnout.
“We are embracing empathy, we are embracing our history, embracing our diversity, embracing truth and emotional intelligence, embracing public education, embracing the separation of church and state,” Gottlieb said.
Gottlieb said the rally was meant to be peaceful, and she said it was driven home to rally participants that they weren’t there to engage or fight, but to share their message. She said she was pleased with how well it went.
Other than a few tense moments when various rally goers exchanged words the event was peaceful, with rally goers engaging in discussions.
