Hannah-Jones: As Americans We Should Be Deeply Concerned About Anti-History Laws

GOODMAN Nikole your work ░░░░░░░░ become the target of ░░░░░░░░ wing backlash Last year ░░░░░░░░ Trump administration threatened to ░░░░░░░░ federal funding from schools ░░░░░░░░ use the 1619 Project ░░░░░░░░ their curriculum Tennessee s ░░░░░░░░ commissioner Penny Schwinn recently ░░░░░░░░ an emergency measure or ░░░░░░░░ regulate the topic of ░░░░░░░░ and gender in classrooms ░░░░░░░░ includes financial penalties for ░░░░░░░░ who violate the law ░░░░░░░░ is after Tennessee s ░░░░░░░░ governor signed a law ░░░░░░░░ Critical Race Theory from ░░░░░░░░ taught in the state ░░░░░░░░ And then you ve ░░░░░░░░ other states including North ░░░░░░░░ Tennessee Florida Idaho and ░░░░░░░░ that have passed similar ░░░░░░░░ I want to play ░░░░░░░░ clip of Texas Republican ░░░░░░░░ Greg Abbott signing into ░░░░░░░░ the 1836 Project earlier ░░░░░░░░ year The name is ░░░░░░░░ reference to the 1619 ░░░░░░░░ it marks the year ░░░░░░░░ seceded from Mexico Clip ░░░░░░░░ ABBOTT The 1836 Project ░░░░░░░░ patriotic education about Texas ░░░░░░░░ ensures that the generations ░░░░░░░░ come understand Texas values ░░░░░░░░ ends GOODMAN Now you ░░░░░░░░ others responded to the ░░░░░░░░ of the 1836 Project ░░░░░░░░ highlighting the fact that ░░░░░░░░ had fully legalized slavery ░░░░░░░░ its Constitution was guilty ░░░░░░░░ the time of lynching ░░░░░░░░ and Mexican Texans If ░░░░░░░░ could talk about this ░░░░░░░░ around the country what ░░░░░░░░ means for history of ░░░░░░░░ United States and for ░░░░░░░░ children and everyone learns ░░░░░░░░ JONES Yes So one ░░░░░░░░ think it s quite ░░░░░░░░ that the argument is ░░░░░░░░ we teach a truer ░░░░░░░░ that actually reflects the ░░░░░░░░ of what happened that ░░░░░░░░ will raise children not ░░░░░░░░ love their country I ░░░░░░░░ that says a great ░░░░░░░░ about what we actually ░░░░░░░░ about how much this ░░░░░░░░ has lived up to ░░░░░░░░ idea of exceptionalism If ░░░░░░░░ has to be based ░░░░░░░░ propaganda that really diminishes ░░░░░░░░ tries to erase from ░░░░░░░░ the difficult parts of ░░░░░░░░ past It doesn t ░░░░░░░░ like that is a ░░░░░░░░ patriotism But I think ░░░░░░░░ we should all as ░░░░░░░░ be deeply deeply concerned ░░░░░░░░ these anti history laws ░░░░░░░░ what they are really ░░░░░░░░ to do is control ░░░░░░░░ memory and to control ░░░░░░░░ understanding of our country ░░░░░░░░ Texas seceded in 1836 ░░░░░░░░ seceded in order to ░░░░░░░░ a slave holding republic ░░░░░░░░ you don t teach ░░░░░░░░ then children are not ░░░░░░░░ to understand all of ░░░░░░░░ inequality that they have ░░░░░░░░ You know Timothy Snyder ░░░░░░░░ historian is a historian ░░░░░░░░ studies authoritarianism and he ░░░░░░░░ about how these memory ░░░░░░░░ that we re saying ░░░░░░░░ passed all across the ░░░░░░░░ including in my home ░░░░░░░░ of Iowa where I ░░░░░░░░ right now where first ░░░░░░░░ tried to pass an ░░░░░░░░ 1619 Project law which ░░░░░░░░ and then they came ░░░░░░░░ an successfully passed an ░░░░░░░░ Critical Race Theory law ░░░░░░░░ had educators in the ░░░░░░░░ that launched my career ░░░░░░░░ I was educated afraid ░░░░░░░░ teach the work that ░░░░░░░░ have done What they ░░░░░░░░ is when you start ░░░░░░░░ see these memory laws ░░░░░░░░ start to see nations ░░░░░░░░ are veering towards authoritarianism ░░░░░░░░ idea of banning books ░░░░░░░░ idea that politicians will ░░░░░░░░ the power of the ░░░░░░░░ to prevent the teaching ░░░░░░░░ ideas that they do ░░░░░░░░ like it s not ░░░░░░░░ Amy and I know ░░░░░░░░ know this that the ░░░░░░░░ states that are passing ░░░░░░░░ anti Critical Race Theory ░░░░░░░░ are also passing laws ░░░░░░░░ make it harder for ░░░░░░░░ to vote They are ░░░░░░░░ laws that actually pull ░░░░░░░░ on democracy they re ░░░░░░░░ laws that make it ░░░░░░░░ for women to choose ░░░░░░░░ own reproductive health All ░░░░░░░░ these things are related ░░░░░░░░ whether you love or ░░░░░░░░ the 1619 Project we ░░░░░░░░ not be accepting a ░░░░░░░░ where the state had ░░░░░░░░ power to control what ░░░░░░░░ we learn from and ░░░░░░░░ ideas we can understand ░░░░░░░░ more importantly a how ░░░░░░░░ understand the truth about ░░░░░░░░ country.”