NEW ORLEANS — Sessions for Louisiana lawmakers haven’t even started, and there’s already a bill up for discussion about teaching race in the classroom.
Critical race theory has divided politicians and parents across the country with many fearful that teaching how race shaped American history will divide the next generation.
Springs Representative Valarie Hodges pre-filed House Bill 27 this week, which aims to restrict the materials teachers can use in history and social studies classes.
It reads in part, “The United State of America has always been strongest when its people come together and embrace those American principals that united us instead of the issues and perspectives that can divide us.”
The bill would require using instructional materials that teach “race-neutral history.”
“I really don’t see it as any attempt to fix any real problems in this state, it’s just a headline-grab type of legislation,” said Representative Royce Duplessis, a Democrat from New Orleans.
Rep. Duplessis says there’s no evidence Critical Race Theory is being taught in Louisiana and he considers this bill a distraction.
“We need to be talking about early childhood education, we need to be talking about early literacy, we need to be talking about teacher pay, we don’t need to be talking about something that isn’t even going on,” Duplessis said.
Across the South, lawmakers how vowed to ban lessons on how racism has shaped American history from classrooms.
Opponents say it divides and teaches victimhood.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said to legislators, “From the classroom to the ball field, there are those who want to divide our kids along political lines, push partisan agendas, and indoctrinate students from all walks of life.”
In Mississippi, Black lawmakers walked out of the chamber as the senate passed legislation very similar to what Hodges has proposed in Louisiana two years in a row now.
Rep. Hodges was not available for comment Friday, but Duplessis says the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus plans to push back against her bill.
“The idea of trying to create race-neutral policies or look at things through a race-neutral lens is also a problem,” he said. “Because we have race-based issues in this country, and we can’t solve them through any race-neutral approaches.”
Lawmakers are expecting this won’t be the last bill about critical race theory that is presented this upcoming session.