The main anti-critical race theory bill that spent years through the Mississippi State Legislature, “Critical Race Theory; Prohibit” is now law. Governor Tate Reeves signed the bill on March 14.
To accompany the passage of the bill into law, Reeves shared a video message on his social media platforms.
“Students are being fed an unhealthy dose of progressive fundamentalism that goes against the principles of the founding of America,” he said. “Children are dragged to the front of the classroom and forced to declare themselves oppressors. Learn that they should feel guilty because of their skin color or that they are inherently a victim because of their race.
This law is one of many enacted across the country to combat the presence of what Republicans believe to be critical race theory in schools – even in states like Mississippi, where education officials have confirmed that critical Racial theory is not taught to children.
“I know you will agree with me when I say that there is no room for this kind of indoctrination in our state,” Reeves said. “Therefore, the Mississippi today takes a further step to ensure that our children receive the impartial and impartial education they need to reach their full potential as individuals, not as liberal operatives.”
Authorized by 21 Republican senators, the term “critical race theory” is not mentioned nor defined in the text of the law. The law threatens state funds to hold public educational institutions that certify, adopt, or hold the following tenets:
(a) that any gender, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin is inherently superior or inferior; or
(b) That individuals are treated negatively on the basis of their gender, race, ethnicity, religion or national origin.
In both the Mississippi House and the Senate, not a single black lawmaker voted in favor of the bill to move it forward. In January, every black senator went out of protest as their white colleagues passed the bill.
The definition of critical race theory agreed upon by academics is that it is a way to investigate and understand the intersections of race and law in America. There is only one critical course theory class taught throughout the state of Mississippi. It’s UM Law School Course Law 743: Critical Race Theory.
The course is taught by Yvette Butler, an assistant professor of law at the University of Mississippi. Butler spoke to The Daily Mississippian in February after the bill passed the Senate.
“Critical race theory rejects all sorts of inherent differences between races because it was often founded in pseudoscience, which just like, black people are inferior,” she said, “so why would critical race theorists buy all sorts of inherent differences? Sin. ”
At present, it is not clear what the fate of the course will be after the bill becomes law. When you presented the bill to the House, Rep. Joey Hood said whether the class should be canceled or not, if the bill became law “until Ole Miss,” according to reports from Mississippi today.
“The board is working with institutional executives to determine what, if any, course changes will be needed to enforce the law,” said Caron Blanton, spokeswoman for the Institutions of the Higher Learning Board of Trustees.
The Board of Directors did not comment on the content and impact of the new law.
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