American Studies Association: Statement of Solidarity with the Freedom to Learn National Day of Action
In the late Winter of 2021, anti-CRT (Critical Race Theory) bills began to circulate in the legislative halls of state houses across the nation. This was the beginning of a spate of political maneuvers by conservative Republican dominated legislatures to attack the very fabric of free speech and academic freedom. While these actions against intellectual freedoms and self-determination for this nation’s educators were mounting, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills surged as well, targeting the use of public space (bathroom bills), transgender healthcare and the LGBTQ content of school libraries and curricula. In short, freedom of thought across K-12, college and university communities in this country is under attack.
