WASHINGTON—Educators in more than 25 cities, towns and states across the country are rallying today, Sat., June 12, pledging to “Teach the Truth” about U.S. history. 

The action comes as state lawmakers across the country are introducing bills to ban school curricula that include information about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other oppression in U.S. history.

Pledge to Teach the Truth is a commitment by educators to teach full and accurate U.S. history and current events. It’s also a day of action to raise awareness of the dangers of lying to students about systemic racism and other forms of oppression.

“Most of us got into teaching in part to help make the world a better place,” said Jesse Hagopian, a high school teacher in Washington state, Rethinking Schools editor, and co-editor of Black Lives Matter at School. “But we can’t do that if we’re banned from teaching the truth. And the truth is that structural racism has been foundational to our country and continues to harm our students and communities today.”

Events are scheduled throughout the country, in both cities and rural areas. Actions range from group rallies with speakers to walking tours of local history, as well as individuals taking photos with their pledges at historic sites. Locations include:

• Anchorage, Alaska
• Belton, Texas
• Berkeley, Calif.
• Bristol, R.I.
• Concord, N.H.
• Dover, N.H.
• Greenville, N.C.
• Iowa (statewide virtual event)
• Louisville, Ken.
• Memphis, Tenn.
• Milwaukee, Wisc.
• Morgantown, W.V.
• New York, N.Y.
• Philadelphia, Pa.
• Portland, Ore.
• Portsmouth, N.H.
• Richmond, Va. 
• Russell Springs, Ken.
• Seattle, Wash.
• Silverdale, Wash.
• Springdale, Ark.
• Suisun City, Calif.
• Washington, D.C.
• West Virginia (statewide virtual event)
• Yarmouth, Maine
• Youngstown, Ohio

Pledge to Teach the Truth events are being organized by the Zinn Education Project (coordinated by Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change) and Black Lives Matter at School, who are maintaining a complete and updated list of events. The events and individual pledges are being staged at historic sites whose stories might be erased from schools under new teaching bans. 

Measures that would ban teaching about historic racism have been introduced in Missouri, Texas, Idaho, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina, and more states. Many have targeted such curricula offered by the New York Times’ 1619 Project, Southern Poverty Law Center, Black Lives Matter at School and the Zinn Education Project. 

Educators are asking how they can teach their students honestly without looking at the historic roots of today’s inequality. 

Keziah Ridgeway, a high school AP Anthropology and African American studies teacher in Philadelphia, explained why she is participating: “The laws that are being passed around the country make it difficult to teach the truth about the establishment of this country. As a result, teachers will be forced to either lie about historical events or risk getting fired in order to avoid topics about race and racism. We cannot allow this to happen. Children deserve to know the truth because, though it is uncomfortable, it can lead to invaluable discussions that can transform our future.”

“When young people see the inequalities that persist today — in income, or education, or justice — they ask, ‘Why?’” said Deborah Menkart, co-director of the Zinn Education Project and executive director of Teaching for Change. “Under these current laws or proposals, teachers would be banned from answering these important questions. That’s not teaching history. That’s hiding it. Knowledge is why we’re here, and knowledge is what students in our country deserve.” 

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Contact:

Deborah Menkart

dmenkart@teachingforchange.org

202-294-2703 (cell)