Texas Governor Abbott Indicators ‘1836 Undertaking’ Into Regulation to Promote ‘Patriotic Schooling’ and ‘Christian Heritage’

As the latest in a wave of right-wing reactions to the teaching of racism in American history, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill Monday creating the “1836 Project,” an advisory committee that he said he did Promote “patriotic upbringing” and ensure that future generations understand the values ​​of Texas. Legislation requires that the project promote the “Christian heritage” of the state.

In May, New York Times correspondent Simon Romero noted a “spate” of proposed measures in Texas that would represent “some of the most aggressive efforts to control the teaching of American history” as “nearly a dozen other Republican-led states try to do this “. Prohibit or restrict how the role of slavery and the far-reaching effects of racism can be taught. ”The“ 1836 Project ”is an obvious response to the New York Times’ long-form journalism project,“ The 1619 Project, ”which targets US history Examines 1619, the date the first ship with enslaved Africans arrived in colonial Virginia, and examines how the slavery system shaped the nation’s history.

According to a report by Austin’s KAMR and KCIT, the 1836 project will initially focus on parks, museums, and landmarks, but some teachers are concerned about the impact it will ultimately have on curriculum and teaching.

“To get Texas the best state in the United States, we must never forget why Texas became so special in the first place,” Abbott said during the signing ceremony. By law, every newcomer to Texas who applies for a driver’s license will receive an official pamphlet that “outlines the rich history of Texas and the principles that make up Texas to Texas.” A prize will also be created that recognizes the students’ knowledge of the “founding documents” of Texan history.

Historian Seth Cotlar was among those who responded to Abbott’s signature statement by contributing to the history of the state promoting the settlement of slave owners and his decision to stand up in response to the hostility of the Northern States to the “benevolent and patriarchal system of African slavery “Split off from the Union. ”

Given the long history of organized efforts to infuse Texan textbooks with right-wing political ideology, and the current propaganda campaign against “critical racial theory,” it seems likely that this committee will be a vehicle to advance these ideas, even though the legislation The creation of the Project indicates a broader perspective. It called for the project to “raise awareness among residents of this state about the history of prosperity and democratic freedom in this state”:

(A) Texas history, including the indigenous peoples of this state, the Spanish and Mexican heritage of this state, Tejanos, the African American heritage of this state, the Texas War for Independence, Juneteenth, annexation of Texas by the United States, the Christian heritage of this state and that state’s legacy of holding and carrying firearms for the protection of life and liberty and for hunting;

(B) the founding documents of that state;

(C) the founders of that state;

(D) citizenship; and

(E) the role of this state in enacting and re-approving the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 USC Section 10101 et seq.), Highlighting:

(i) the signing of the Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson;

(ii) President George W. Bush’s 25 year extension of the law; and

(iii) the successful efforts of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan to extend the law to Spanish-speaking communities;

The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the State House of Representatives are each authorized to appoint three members for a two-year term on the project’s advisory board, which by law “reflects the diversity of the state”. Right Wing Watch will enroll the first members of the 1836 Project Advisory Committee when they are named.

This article was originally published by Right Wing Watch and is republished here with permission.