AAUP Responds to Attacks on Teaching about Race

The AAUP has been closely monitoring attempts in multiple states to advance legislation that bans or restricts teaching about race and racism in public K–12 and higher education institutions. Conservative media outlets and politicians have exploited alarm­ist and ill-informed attacks on critical race theory as a rallying cry, perpetuating the notion that any attention by educators to the history and legacy of racism in US society is itself racist. While legisla­tion varies from state to state, and many proposed bills have failed to advance, such efforts to interfere with the curriculum inhibit the free exchange of ideas and have the potential to violate core AAUP principles.

The AAUP has developed resources that address the implica­tions of such legislative efforts and provide tools for responding at the state and local levels. A series of statements on teaching about race and other materials, including FAQs and links to legislative track­ing maps and media coverage, are available on the AAUP website at https://www.aaup.org/issues/teaching-about-race.