House Bills 14 and 18 are being called Anti-Critical Race Theory bills—they include language that would prohibit schools from using material causing an individual any form of psychological distress on account of their race or sex.
10th grader Genesis Hatchett was among a student group called Mighty Shades of Ebony that spoke to media outlets in a rally against the measures Tuesday.
“A lot of our education and a lot of our history has been taught to us from the bias of white men . . . I don't want my history to be erased because it might make the girl sitting across from me in my predominately white school uncomfortable.”
A teacher at the rally said he will not teach Black history any differently, whether or not the bills become law. Representative Attica Scott called on her colleagues to reject attempts to silence teachers and erase history.
Representative Jennifer Decker, one of the bills’ co-sponsors, told WDRB the legislation calls for a full account of history, but would not allow the idea that “America is defined by its past forever, and that the people who are alive now are somehow responsible for that because of the color of their skin.”
So far, the legislature has not moved forward on either measure.
