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Two weeks ago, history was made when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, officially marking Juneteenth as an official federal holiday. This nuanced holiday designation comes at the same time attacks on racial justice work that began under former President Trump are continuing at the state and local level across the nation. While President Biden rescinded the Trump Administration’s executive order banning racial equity trainings, since then, opponents have introduced more than 20 state legislative bills that would ban racial equity work in government and education on race in schools.
Many of the bills can be challenged in court, but the danger to our racial equity work is not only at the policy level – it’s also about countering a false narrative. Race Forward has released a guide to Counter-Narrating the Attacks on Critical Race Theory which recenters the conversation on the purpose of the attacks and the importance of continuing to have courageous conversations about race.
Being able to understand how America’s complex racial history shaped our past and informs our present is the key to building the promise of a just, multiracial, democratic society. The goal of these bills and those who sponsor and support them is to create obstacles for the progress we’ve achieved so far. Race Forward and our partners will continue doing the work necessary to advance racial equity in the classroom, in the workplace, and in government.
To stay engaged with Race Forward, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; visit Colorlines for daily race-explicit reporting and news analysis; learn about our Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) work; and listen to Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast.
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