House Public Education Committee
April 13, 2021
Testimony of Stephanie Gómez
on behalf of Common Cause Texas
in Opposition to House Bill 3979
Common Cause is a national, nonpartisan advocacy organization that works on a broad range of voting rights and democracy issues, with over 50,000 members across Texas.
We’re pleased to see legislation that would bring civic education and discussion in the classrooms, however, HB 3979 would limit the ability of Texas classrooms to align with democratic values, by limiting productive, respectful discussions between students and educators. An equitable, thriving democracy depends on informed members able to engage in critical thought and analysis when discussing the history, government, civics, social studies, policy, advocacy and similar subject areas.
House Bill 3979 would require that students develop an understanding of the founding documents of the United States in order to better their civic knowledge. While the documents listed in HB3976 lay the foundation of our democratic system, they do not provide a comprehensive perspective of civics in the United States — historically or presently. The list provided does not feature a single document authored by an Black person, an Indigenous person, or any person of color, or a woman, all of which played a significant role in constructing the United States.
We recommend that the committee add in the following books and reading materials;
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass
- An Indigenous People’s History of the United States for Young People, Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz
- Voices of a People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn
- Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March, Lynda Blackmon Lowery
- A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History. Jeanne Theoharis
Subsection (h-2)(6) limits the ability for open discussion on the complicated and difficult history that is sometimes discussed in classrooms. While no student or educator should be shamed for their unfamiliarity on topics relating to gender, sex, race or any other identity, the bill assumes that educators or students who engage in discussions on these topics do so with an intention to harm or shame others. Instead of promoting analytical, appropriate and open discussion, this provision would make it likely that needed discussions are simply left out of the classroom.
Discussions on oppression, racism, and sexism are difficult, but directly related to discussions on history, government, civics, social studies, policy, advocacy and similar subject areas. Instead of banning these discussions and limiting students and educator’s ability to express themselves freely and respectively, we recommend that the committee strikes this section and replaces it with support for educators in facilitating respectful discussions on race, sex, gender, disparities, divisions, inequity, and other topics directly related to our society and civic engagement.
We welcome the opportunity to meet with any members who would like to further discuss how to provide engaging, thoughtful, and productive civics education to Texas students aligned with democratic values.