Scholarly Groups Condemn Laws Limiting Teaching on Race

More than 20 states have introduced legislation restricting lessons on racism and other so-called “divisive concepts.”

A coalition of more than six dozen scholarly and educational groups have signed onto a statement decrying the spread of proposed legislation limiting classroom discussion of race, racism and other so-called “divisive concepts,” calling such laws an infringement on “the right of faculty to teach and of students to learn” and a broader threat to civic life. “The clear goal of these efforts is to suppress teaching and learning about the role of racism in the history of the United States,” says the statement, whose signatories include the American Historical Association, the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers. “The ideal of informed citizenship necessitates an educated public,” the statement continues. “Educators must provide an accurate view of the past in order to better prepare students for community participation and robust civic engagement.”