The candidate, Shannon Braun — Chip Gaines’ sister — is running on the platform of giving kids “the education they deserve,” which apparently includes barring the school district’s use of critical race theory, which argues that racism is embedded in the United States’ systems and policies, the Dallas Observer reports.
Republicans in the Texas Legislature and other statehouses have championed similar bans. One such measure introduced by Texas lawmakers has been approved by both the GOP-controlled House and Senate during the current session. Educators and community groups argue the bans violate free speech and whitewash history.
Braun is waging her fight against teaching of the theory even though the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD doesn’t include it in its curriculum, according to the Observer. In a media statement, it told the paper it has no intention to do so.
Financial support of a candidate calling for such a ban appears to run counter to the public image of the Texas-based Gaineses, who are credited with helping turn Waco into a tourist destination through their home improvement TV show and Magnolia brand.
Last June, the couple appeared on the YouTube show “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” to talk about race. Having those conversations, Chip Gaines said, was “exactly what we need for this exact time.”
That same month, the pair donated a total of $200,000 to racial justice organizations including the Waco NAACP and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. They also unveiled plans to implement diversity and inclusion training for their staff.
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This article appears in May 19 – Jun 1, 2021.