The AHA has sent letters to the Georgia House of Representatives Education Committee and Senate Committee on Education and Youth opposing HB 1084 and SB 377, which would restrict history education. 

Dear Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Education Committee:

The American Historical Association registers strong opposition to HB 1084 and SB 377. Formally, these bills aim to ban teaching “divisive concepts” about race and the history of race in America, but in effect they would create a climate of fear for students in which trusted teachers could be subject to legal reprisals or highly valued community schools could suffer damaging penalties for teaching a full and accurate account of the past.

HB 1084 prohibits teaching that “The United States of America is fundamentally racist.” Among other things, this could ban teaching about many well-established events, developments, as well as historical debates about the relationship of slavery to the founding of the United States. It is important to acknowledge that HB 1084 includes language that claims the bill is not to be construed to “Prohibit the use of curricula that addresses topics of slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, or racial discrimination.” However, the existence of this legislation and the ramifications of violating it would create a chilling effect on teaching about the past. The practical effect of this policy would be to make teachers think twice before teaching students about the history of discrimination: for example, that the US Constitution prohibited any limitations on the slave trade for two decades or that the Plessy v. Ferguson decision legalized racial segregation.

Though this legislation might appear to respond to public concerns about history education, it does nothing of the kind. In reality, there is overwhelming and bipartisan public support for what the vast majority of history educators actually teach on this subject: that slavery and racism have played a key role in shaping American history, and that their influence redounds to the present day. According to a recent national survey conducted by the AHA and Fairleigh Dickinson University, three-quarters of both Republicans and Democrats support teaching history about harm some have done to others even if it causes students discomfort – exactly what history educators, with only rare exceptions, do in the classroom.

With almost 12,000 members, the AHA is the largest membership association of professional historians in the world, representing every historical era and geographical area. Founded in 1884 and incorporated by Congress in 1889 for the promotion of historical studies, the Association provides leadership for the discipline, helps to sustain and enhance the work of historians, and promotes the critical role of historical thinking in public life. Everything has a history.

If passed, these bills would result in ignorance of basic facts about American history and undermine the education of Georgia students, including their ability to perform effectively on the US History Advanced Placement test or successfully complete college-level dual enrollment courses in US history.

This bears emphasis: The legislation you are considering would do significant harm to students in your state. The significant gaps in the knowledge of high school students would limit their college preparedness and their access to early college credit.

It will also harm their employment prospects. As the AHA has documented through our extensive work on career preparedness in history classrooms, the aspect of history education employers value most is students’ ability to communicate with and understand people from different backgrounds. This policy would limit students’ exposure to complex and contested voices from the past, making them less competitive job candidates and imperiling their future career prospects.

The AHA urges you to reject these misguided, harmful, and unnecessary restrictions on history education. I attach a statement criticizing similar legislative efforts to restrict education about racism in American history, co-authored by the AHA in June 2021 and signed by 152 organizations, including seven college accreditation agencies.

Sincerely,

James Grossman
Executive Director
American Historical Association

Dear Members of the Georgia Senate Committee on Education and Youth:

The American Historical Association registers strong opposition to Georgia SB 377 and HB 1084. Formally, these bills aim to ban teaching “divisive concepts” about race and the history of race in America, but in effect they would create a climate of fear for students in which trusted teachers could be subject to legal reprisals or highly valued community schools could suffer damaging penalties for teaching a full and accurate account of the past.

SB 377 prohibits teaching that “The United States of America and the State of Georgia are fundamentally or systematically racist.” Among other things, this would restrict teaching about many well-established events, developments, as well as historical debates about the relationship of slavery to the founding of the United States or the early histories of African Americans in Georgia. It is important to acknowledge that HB 1084 includes language that claims the bill is not to be construed to “Prohibit the use of curricula that addresses topics of slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, or racial discrimination.” However, the practical effect of the policy as a whole would be to make teachers think twice before teaching students about the history of discrimination: for example, that the US Constitution prohibited any limitations on the slave trade for two decades or that the Plessy v. Ferguson decision legalized racial segregation.

Though this legislation might appear to respond to public concerns about history education, it does nothing of the kind. In reality, there is overwhelming and bipartisan public support for what the vast majority of history educators actually teach on this subject: that slavery and racism have played a key role in shaping American history, and that their influence redounds to the present day. According to a recent national survey conducted by the AHA and Fairleigh Dickinson University, three-quarters of both Republicans and Democrats support teaching history about harm some have done to others even if it causes students discomfort—exactly what history educators, with only rare exceptions, do in the classroom.

With almost 12,000 members, the AHA is the largest membership association of professional historians in the world, representing every historical era and geographical area. Founded in 1884 and incorporated by Congress in 1889 for the promotion of historical studies, the Association provides leadership for the discipline, helps to sustain and enhance the work of historians, and promotes the critical role of historical thinking in public life. Everything has a history.

If passed, these bills would result in ignorance of basic facts about American history and undermine the education of Georgia students, including their ability to perform effectively on the US History Advanced Placement test or successfully complete college-level dual enrollment courses in US history.

This bears emphasis: The legislation you are considering would do significant harm to students in your state. The significant gaps in the knowledge of high school students would limit their college preparedness and their access to early college credit.

It will also harm their employment prospects. As the AHA has documented through our extensive work on career preparedness in history classrooms, the aspect of history education employers value most is students’ ability to communicate with and understand people from different backgrounds. This policy would limit students’ exposure to complex and contested voices from the past, making them less competitive job candidates and imperiling their future career prospects.

The AHA urges you to reject these misguided, harmful, and unnecessary restrictions on history education. I attach a statement criticizing similar legislative efforts to restrict education about racism in American history, co-authored by the AHA in June 2021 and signed by 152 organizations, including seven college accreditation agencies.

Sincerely,

James Grossman
Executive Director
American Historical Association