Republican lawmakers in at least five states have introduced legislation that threatens to cut funding to schools that share curriculum about the award-winning 1619 Project.
It previews new battles in states over control of civics education.https://bit.ly/36Sxg5x
-
-
Lawmakers in Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri and South Dakota want to stop lesson plans that focus on the centrality of slavery to American history as presented in the
#1619Project.https://bit.ly/36Sxg5xShow this thread -
Some historians say the bills are part of a larger effort by Republicans to downplay the ugly legacy of slavery and the contributions of Black people, Native Americans, women and others present during the nation's founding.https://bit.ly/36Sxg5x
Show this thread -
Political battles have long been fought, largely in education boards, over how American students learn about everything from the Civil War to ethnic studies and health. But this proposed legislation signals future debates may increasingly play out in state legislatures.
Show this thread -
The legislation out of Arkansas and Mississippi both call the project "a racially divisive and revisionist account of history that threatens the integrity of the Union by denying the true principles on which it was founded."https://bit.ly/36Sxg5x
Show this thread -
The Iowa bill expands its threat to school funding by suggesting any teachings with "any similarly developed curriculum" could face repercussions.https://bit.ly/36Sxg5x
Show this thread -
The Missouri bill prohibits teaching, affirming or promoting claims, views, or opinions presented in the 1619 Project as "an accurate account or representation of the founding and history of the United States of America."https://bit.ly/36Sxg5x
Show this thread -
Some Republican governors have also proposed using state money to shape how history is taught. In November, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves proposed spending $3 million on a "Patriotic Education Fund."https://mississippitoday.org/2020/11/16/gov-reeves-budget-eliminate-income-tax-skip-teacher-pay-hike-create-patriotic-education-fund/ …
Show this thread -
In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem last month proposed spending $900,000 for a curriculum that teaches the state's students "why the U.S. is the most special nation in the history of the world."https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/education/gov-noem-seeks-900-000-to-revise-u-s-history-curriculum-in-states-public-schools/article_590f7490-f996-567b-a010-d00bdb0138e0.html …
Show this thread -
Former President Trump also tried to push "patriotic" education, creating a "1776 Commission" that released a report on Martin Luther King Jr. Day that was criticized for its inaccuracies and erasure of Black people, Native Americans and women.https://www.npr.org/2020/09/17/914127266/trump-announces-patriotic-education-commission-a-largely-political-move …
Show this thread -
While some historians have criticized parts of the project, the Times has stood behind it, and other historians have praised the project's approach and rigor and treatment of the role of white supremacy in U.S. history.https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/20/magazine/we-respond-to-the-historians-who-critiqued-the-1619-project.html …
Show this thread -
.
@ProfKori notes several of the anti-1619 Project bills include language that seeks to address the project as a "revisionist," racially divisive framing of history. Race does not intertwine with history only when people of color are involved, she said. https://bit.ly/36Sxg5x pic.twitter.com/Dvyoo57JBX
Show this thread -
.
@nhannahjones told The 19th that she doesn't believe the lawmakers who have filed these statehouse bills have actually read the project. She encouraged them and others to read the initiative before deciding how they feel about it.https://bit.ly/36Sxg5xShow this thread -
Michèle Foster, a professor at the University of Louisville, said much of what she learned about slavery she got from her family, not school. She sees a connection between the Capitol riots and the bills filed, linking them to fear of a changing country.https://bit.ly/36Sxg5x
Show this thread -
"I think there are historical and societal conditions that give rise to this fear, and one way to deal with fear is to pass legislation that restricts it," Foster said. More from
@bcrodriguez:https://bit.ly/36Sxg5xShow this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.