Title: N.H. lawmakers debate banning schools from teaching about systemic racism and sexism
Headings: N.H. lawmakers debate banning schools from teaching about systemic racism and sexism
N.H. lawmakers debate banning schools from teaching about systemic racism and sexism
Content: Ammon says the idea for the bill came from a professor in the University System of New Hampshire, although Ammon said he wouldn’t disclose the identity of the professor, because the unnamed individual is afraid of losing his or her job for advocating in favor of the bill. In the Thursday hearing, 26 people signed up to testify, including state representatives, and local and national advocates, who spoke for and against the bill. Much of the discussion hinged on the pros and cons of critical race theory, a framework that examines U.S. society and culture through a lens of race, law and power, and acknowledges systemic racism as part of American culture. Many of those who spoke in favor of the bill called critical race theory “indoctrination,” and claimed teaching it in schools promotes reverse racism. Some of those who spoke in opposition to the bill said banning topics from classrooms is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. “The First Amendment protects that difference of opinion, where the government, I don’t think, should have the power to tell individuals – and in this case, state contractors – how they should speak within their companies,” said Gilles Bissonette, legal director for ACLU New Hampshire. Others in opposition said teaching about systemic racism is important to help students understand how history has impacted the present. “As an immigrant, as a person of color, I see already discrimination against me in the workplace, when I go out, people think it is right to tell me I don’t belong in this country because of my accent, or my skin color,” said State Rep. Maria Perez of Milford. “ Why do we need another bill to give people the right to discriminate against them, and why don’t we let the teachers teach the kids that we all come from different backgrounds?” Tensions were high during the hearing.