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Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a bill that will make it extremely hard for teachers to talk about racism in the classroom. HB 3979 doesn’t allow K-12 teachers to discuss the concept that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,” the concept that someone could “be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individual’s race,” the concept of “an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress” based on their race or sex. The award-winning New York Times 1619 Project definitely can’t be discussed in the classroom. The article discusses the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the center of America’s national narrative. “You can talk about race in the classroom, but you can’t talk about privilege…It doesn’t outright ban talking about race, but the idea is to put in landmines so any conversation about race in the classroom would be impossible,” said Democratic Rep. James Talarico adding, “The idea is to whitewash American history of any legacy of racism.” Fortunately for Democrats, the House version of HB 3979 was passed which allows historical figures such as MLK, Frederick Douglas, Caesar Chavez, and Dolores Huerta to be discussed. Amendments were also added allowing for the feminine, Chicano, and labor movement to be discussed.
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