With New Legislation, Democrats Push Back On Republican Efforts to Criminalize Teaching of Race
"I'm co-sponsoring the African American History Act with RepBowman to build a more just future by reckoning with our past,” says Rep Nikema Williams
Among the various battles in their effort to wage a new “culture war,” Republicans have been on a sustained effort to criminalize and silence the teaching of race and racism wherever they can across the United States.
Often under the bogus banner of “critical race theory,” (CRT) Republicans have been passing state laws and otherwise trying to gag American teachers from teaching of race and racism in history and other subjects.
Most recently, Republican Glenn Youngkin stoked the bogus issue of CRT being taught in Virginia schools in his successful race to become the next governor of Old Dominion.
Congressional Democrats began to fight back Tuesday by introducing legislation which affirmatively supports the teaching and learning about the experience of Black Americans in the United States.
Rep Jamaal Bowman, of New York, introduced the African American History Act along with co-sponsors.
The African American History Act would:
invest $10 million over 5 years to support the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington DC;
Increase educational resources to students and educators; and
Engage audiences through culturally competent programming
“As a Black man and an educator, I cannot make clear enough how important it is to the success of our democracy for us to come to a collective understanding and agreement that we must take our commitment to learn from our past seriously,” Bowman said.
“Critical Race Theory? Semantics aside, Black history is American history and we have to #TellTheTruth - regardless of how hard it is to hear. I’m co-sponsoring the African American History Act with @RepBowman to build a more just future by reckoning with our past,” tweeted Rep Nikema Williams (D-Ga).
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