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Teach Truth Day of Action June 10
June 10, 2023
It’s time to take action. . . . again.
For the past two summers, teachers rallied across the country at historic sites to speak out against anti-history education bills and to make public their pledge to teach the truth. The teacher-led rallies received national media attention, providing a valuable counter narrative to the oversized coverage of the well-funded anti-CRT movement.
Once again, we invite educators, students, parents, and community members to rally across the country and pledge to #TeachTruth and defend LGBTQ+ rights on June 10, 2023.
The situation is urgent.
Lawmakers in at least 44 states have introduced legislation or pursued other measures that attempt to require educators to lie to students about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism, transphobia, and other forms of oppression throughout U.S. history. These laws and restrictions have been imposed in at least 18 states. The Right has declared war on teaching the truth about structural racism and sexism and on LGBTQ+ youth.
Books by Black, Indigenous, authors of color, and LGBTQ+ writers are increasingly being banned.
As Jesse Hagopian points out,
Just as the Red Scare and the Lavender Scare were used to purge teachers from the late-1940s through the early-1960s, the current attacks on what history deniers have labeled “critical race theory” and “gender ideology” are directly connected.
In Florida, Gov. DeSantis’s so-called “Parental Rights in Education” bill — better known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill — prohibits classroom instruction related to gay, lesbian, or transgender issues, and sexuality or gender identity more broadly. Florida is one of six states that censor discussions of LGBTQ+ people or issues in school, and one of eighteen that bans transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity.
While claiming to “protect” young people, the right-wing legislators block any efforts to address gun violence (the leading cause of death for young people) and the existential threat of climate change.
This is a national call.
Although bills and budget resolutions are being proposed (and in some cases passed) in specific states, the threat to teaching — and the need for solidarity — is everywhere.
We invite people to participate from all over the United States. You can plan a virtual event or gathering at a historic site. From our freedom to vote, to our children’s freedom to learn, to everyone’s freedom from gun violence, certain politicians want to overturn the will of the people and block the policies we need for our students, families, and communities to thrive. By coming together, we can rewrite the rules to ensure safe, affirming, and welcoming schools and the freedom to learn for our children — across race, place, and gender identities — no exceptions.
How to Plan An Action in Your City
To make our voices loud and clear, we hope to see actions (of all sizes — from one person to 100+) all over the United States.
It is important to sign up so that we can send you more resources and support. While the step-by-step guide further below (after the co-sponsor list) is detailed, the process is simple:
- Organize a gathering at the site (or online) with fellow educators, family members, students, and community members. The group can be any size. If you don’t have time to organize a group, pick a site and go on your own or with a friend. Every voice and action counts!
- Invite teachers to share their commitment to teaching truthfully, parents to share why they want their children to have an uncensored education, and students to share why learning the truth about history and respecting all identities is important to them. You can plan other activities. See ideas in the slides and detailed description further below.
- Post photos and videos to social media with the hashtag #TeachTruth
Below are examples of day of action activities, from prior events around the country.
Leadership
These events are coordinated by the Zinn Education Project (coordinated by Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change), Black Lives Matter at School, and the African American Policy Forum.