Curriculum Censorship Bills
This batch of legislation is aimed at interfering with students’ freedom to read and learn in South Carolina. The bills target certain educational topics – including issues of racial injustice and anything related to LGBTQ+ identity – and broadly prohibit discussion of those topics. Other attacks seek to ban LGBTQ-related books.
Every student should have the right to receive an accurate and inclusive education. Truthful and inclusive discussion about United States and South Carolina history, as well as current events pertaining to ongoing race and gender inequalities, are essential to quality academic instruction. These bills would stifle or outright ban that discussion.
These laws infringe on students’ and teachers’ First Amendment rights and discourage learning and attempt to suppress speech about race and gender that extreme lawmakers disfavor.
Banning conversations about race, gender, and sexuality risk maintaining or creating education environments that are unwelcoming to students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Outlawing education about racism and LGBTQ+ identity can alienate marginalized students from obtaining an education, and harms the entire student body by sowing the divisions that the legislation purports to avoid.
The Freedom to Read SC coalition has more information about this legislation.