Friend,

As many of us recognize and celebrate Black History Month, Republican lawmakers across the country are erasing Black history from classrooms.

State legislatures and school boards are punishing teachers and professors for talking about race or racism, banning books that discuss racism, and even prohibiting schools from making white people feel “discomfort” or “guilt.”

But people need to know the truth about our systems of oppression and inequity, and also to know about Black people’s successes and triumphs. If we don’t teach students about race, then white supremacy continues unchallenged.

Sign the petition to state legislatures: Block Republican efforts to erase Black history education.

Instead of spending time and resources on supporting teachers and students through this pandemic, right-wing leaders are pushing conspiracies and a contrived crisis under the guise of “critical race theory.”

In the midst of this organized right-wing effort, teachers and professors and administrators have been fired or faced threats and fines. Educators around the country are confused about what they’re allowed to do, and many have stopped talking about race in their classrooms.

Virginia’s new Republican governor, who vowed to ban critical race theory from classrooms, just launched a tip line for parents to report their children’s teachers for bringing “divisive subjects” into the classroom. Not only is this a frightening situation, it’s also based on a lie: Talking about race is not divisive, it’s inclusive.

It’s important for students of color to learn about the incredible contributions that people like them have made to this country and the world. And as historian Manisha Sinha explained: “There's no reason why a white student can't identify with the abolitionist or the civil rights leader rather than a slaveholder.”

Burying the atrocities of our past also erases important context about why inequalities persist today, and hides the truth that we can fight systems of oppression.

We must not allow history to be erased. Instead we must embrace, learn from, and teach the truth about our past—and how it informs our present.

Sign the petition to state legislatures: Block Republican efforts to erase Black history education.

Thanks for all you do,

Rashida