The union representing Kent State professors issued a forceful call to action against Ohio House Bills 322 and 327, which mimic a nationwide effort to ban teaching critical race theory in classrooms.
“Such bills infringe on the right of faculty to teach, [they] suppress student learning and curtail intellectual exploration,” wrote Coleen Taylor, executive director of the Kent State branch of the American Association of University Professors.
She urged members to write to their representatives.
HB 322 prohibits the discussion of “divisive concepts,” which the bill vaguely defines as various ideas regarding oppression based on race, gender and sexuality. HB 327 more specifically targets higher education, but the Ohio Department of Higher Education would be affected by both bills.
“The primary purpose of these bills is to prohibit ‘critical race theory’ from being taught in primary, secondary and even higher education,” Taylor wrote.
Critical race theory is a theoretical concept that originated in the field of law, arguing that prejudice and bias are not only present in individuals, but exist as social constructs, embedded in laws and policies. It has become a popular area of discussion in other political, social and cultural academic fields, and recently moved to the forefront of partisan debate as the concept gained traction in popular discussion.
In a recent letter to the editor, the president of the Portage County NAACP, Geraldine Hayes Nelson, also spoke out against the bills.
“The real thrust of this proposed law is to discourage any teaching that dares to explore tough subjects — subjects like slavery and race, and the systems and laws that have led to uneven justice, redlined neighborhoods, poorer health outcomes and barriers to the ballot box for Black and brown people,” wrote Hayes Nelson, who is a former Kent State administrator.
Proponents of the bill, including the founder of the Portage County Tea Party, claim the laws are necessary to prevent “a Communist-takeover of our nation.”
Natalie Wolford is managing editor at The Portager. A native of Randolph, she studied film in New York City and is producing a feature-length documentary about her aunt, a small-town journalist.