ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s public school teachers must be prevented from preaching racial guilt to students, Republican lawmakers argued Friday as the Senate passed a bill banning the teaching of “divisive concepts,” despite arguments from Democrats that the proposal would stifle honest discussion of lingering racial disparities in American society.
Senate Bill 377 passed by a 32-20 vote and now moves on to the House, which passed a similar measure last week.
The measures ban teaching a list of items originally listed in a now-repealed 2020 executive order by former President Donald Trump. Republicans are reacting against critical race theory, a term stretched from its original meaning as an examination of how societal structures perpetuate white dominance to a broader indictment of diversity initiatives and teaching about race.
Banned “divisive concepts” would include claims that the U.S. is “fundamentally or systematically racist,” that any people are “inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously,” and that no one “should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of his or her race.” Bills using identical language have been proposed in dozens of states, backed by the Center for Renewing America, a think tank led by former Trump administration officials.
“I believe that every single one of us in this room today understands our history and the way it has shaped our present, without having been taught that you inherited those burdens,” said Sen. Bo Hatchett, a Cornelia Republican and floor leader for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. The governor has expressed support for the measures in general terms.