The AHA’s Freedom to Learn initiative is a response to recent legislation, introduced in more than half of all US states and enacted in nearly a dozen, seeking to limit teaching the history of racism and slavery. Drawing on the AHA’s legitimacy as the largest organization of professional historians in the world and the expertise of our members, the Freedom to Learn initiative educates historians and others on how to advocate publicly for honest history education, responds directly to the bills themselves, and creates resources to help teachers directly affected by these bills think about how to maintain the integrity of their history courses.

PEN America and the AHA have developed the Flashpoints event series to present the history of free speech in American democracy to public audiences around the United States. Our goal is to widen recognition of the evolution of the First Amendment in ensuring free speech protections for all Americans and the essential role those protections play in a democratic society. Visit PEN America’s website at the link below to learn more about upcoming events in the series.

The AHA is an inaugural partner of Learn from History, a coalition of 40 organizations that oppose efforts to limit the ability of educators to maintain the scholarly integrity of courses in US history. Among other resources, Learn from History offers toolkits for school system leaders, parents, teachers, and school board members. 

AHA staff and Council members have written articles and made public appearances highlighting the challenges teachers and educators face from legislation restricting the teaching of “divisive concepts.”

In June 2021, the American Association of University Professors, the American Historical Association, the Association of American Colleges & Universities, and PEN America authored a joint statement stating their “firm opposition” to legislation, introduced in at least 20 states, that would restrict the discussion of “divisive concepts” in public education institutions.