The petition to Texas Governor Gov. Greg Abbott reads: "Don’t whitewash history in Texas classrooms."

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There's another big lie that the Republicans are spreading, aside from the "stolen" election and the "peaceful" January 6th rally. It's that racism doesn't exist in America. It's spread like a virus among all members of their party — African-American South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (R) proclaimed as much on national TV just last month.

The lie tells us that minorities are disadvantaged because of their inherent attributes, not because of a history of slavery, oppression, and laws and policies that advantaged one race over others for centuries. And now Texas wants to enshrine that lie into their education system.

H.B. 3979 is a brazen attempt at stymieing conversation about race, gender, and inequity in Texas classrooms and a push towards relieving White Americans from any sense of duty or responsibility to correct the mistakes of our nation's past.

Tell Texas Governor Gov. Greg Abbott not to sign into law the new "Lies in Education" Act being fast-tracked in the legislature right now.

H.B. 3979 would ban from discussion in the classroom the idea that "an individual, by virtue of the [their] race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex." This is a ludicrous and dangerous idea. If it passes, entire generations will grow up not only not knowing– but not being allowed to know – the truth about why America is the way it is. When there is no causal effect to ascribe to the inequities and injustices in the current American system, it is much easier to accept them as "just the way things are." Students will grow up feeling no duty to change the system to make it better for all. Instead, the gag order on the truth could likely cause even more prejudice, since the idea that no one bears responsibility for actions committed in the past places the blame on those who are traditionally disadvantaged for their own misfortunes.  

This bill must not become law. It creates a dangerous precedent and a dark future for a country that should work towards reconciliation rather than ignorance. Sign the petition to tell Texas that H.B. 3979 should never become law.

Another "gem" of this horrible bill is that it discourages teachers from taking any professional training ― like cultural proficiency and equity training ― if it makes them feel any "discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress." If H.B. 3979 is supposed to make education better, why would it actively work to spread ignorance?

The lie tells us that minorities are disadvantaged because of their inherent attributes, not because of a history of racism, oppression, and structural racism on which our country was founded. But if this bill passes, it will give the lie a stronghold in Texas education, one that teaches millions of students every year.

Please help stop this dangerous bill. Sign our petition.