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It’s time to tune in and weigh in, educators.
House Bill 324 — titled “Ensuring Dignity & Nondiscrimination/Schools” — will be heard on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 11am in the Senate Education/Higher Education Committee in room 544. The meeting will include a presentation by Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
To get up to speed, review this article by EdNC’s Alex Granados on the definition of “promote” and changes to the bill since it was first introduced.
Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, has said the bill doesn’t have any enforcement mechanism or penalties for violating the provisions of the bill.
Here is the proposed committee substitute.
If the bill is passed, public school districts will not be allowed to “promote” these 13 concepts:
- “One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex.
- “An individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.
- “An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex.
- “An individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex.
- “An individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.
- “Any individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress.
- “That the belief that the United States is a meritocracy is an inherently racist or sexist belief, or that the United States was created by members of a particular race or sex for the purpose of oppressing members of another race or sex.
- “The United States was created by members of a particular race or sex for the purpose of oppressing members of another race or sex.
- “The United States government should be violently overthrown.
- “Particular character traits, values, moral or ethical codes, privileges, or beliefs should be ascribed to a race or sex, or to an individual because of the individual’s race or sex.
- “The rule of law does not exist, but instead is a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups.
- “All Americans are not created equal and are not endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- “Governments should deny to any person within the government’s jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.”
You can see the legislators on the committee here. You can listen to the meeting here. You can watch the meeting here.
Tim Boyum with Spectrum News moderated this widely watched debate on critical race theory in our schools between Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue, D-Wake.
The Public School Forum of NC hosted this town hall about HB 324 to hear from legislators, educators, and students about how this bill affects classrooms and about the importance of having critical conversations with students.
