A Current Events Response by
National Council for the Social Studies

In recent months, there have been overtures by government officials to prohibit the use of federal funds to schools or school districts that utilize the 1619 Project. New York Times writer and 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah Jones launched the 1619 Project in August 2019 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of enslaved Africans in the English colonies. As part of the 1619 Project, the Pulitzer Center developed curricula, including lesson plans, guides, and activities to help social studies teachers bring this material into their classrooms.

As the largest professional association in the country devoted solely to social studies education, the National Council for the Social Studies resoundingly rejects any effort by the federal government to silence social studies curriculum that explicitly addresses the centrality of slavery in the historical narrative of the United States.

Slavery is hard history that must be actively addressed in social studies classrooms. Aversion to slavery in the social studies curriculum only serves to miseducate students who will carry the mantle of being citizens in our democratic society. Recognizing the origins, evolution, and legacy of slavery is vital to understanding how racial inequality and oppression currently operate in our society. Without this knowledge, it will be impossible for students to make informed and reasoned decisions and engage in deliberations that advance the common good.

Targeting resources that help social studies teachers cultivate more knowledgeable citizens is not the role of the federal government. We stand with all of the schools, school districts, and teachers who use resources like the 1619 Project to accurately depict the history of slavery in the United States, broaden the horizons of their students, and prepare citizens for a just democratic society.