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Juneteenth — June 19th, also known as Emancipation Day — is one of the commemorations of people seizing their freedom in the United States.
This beautiful tradition of Black freedom should be taught in school.
Yet, if the right wing has its way, it will be illegal to teach students about Juneteenth. At least 44 states have passed or proposed legislation to prohibit teaching about structural racism, and books are being banned from school libraries in record numbers. The goal of conservative legislators: to outlaw teaching about the founding of this country on slavery and genocide, as well as the long Black freedom struggle.
Some statewide bills ban teaching about the structures and systems that led to enslavement and how these structures continue to manifest in policing, redlining, voter suppression laws, and more.
But educators around the country continue to pledge to teach truthfully about structural racism. They are doubling down on their commitment to teach young people about institutionalized racism and how to organize for justice.
Last weekend, teachers in at least 65 cities joined the national #TeachTruth Days of Action. They rallied to defend the right to teach truthfully, to protest book bans, and to defend LGBTQ+ rights.
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