(NEW YORK)– In a major blow to free expression in education, the Mississippi state legislature sent HB 1193, a bill that would impose extreme restrictions on speech and ideas in public schools, colleges and universities, to Governor Tate Reeves’s desk on April 7th. Despite fierce opposition from educators, advocates and Mississippians across the state, this bill will now become law with or without the Governor’s signature, unless he vetoes the bill by April 24th.
The bill’s language claims to ban “diversity, equity and inclusion” and “divisive concepts,” but uses broad definitions that explicitly prohibit “increasing awareness and understanding” of certain topics to all classroom instruction, as well as most nonacademic programs, initiatives, and policies at all public K-12 schools or higher education campuses.
If signed, the scope of HB 1193 will lead to a chilled environment for educators and make campuses less welcoming for students of all backgrounds. This bill could erase people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, and world history and culture from instruction and programming at all levels of education.
“If this bill passes, Mississippi’s government will deprive their students of a quality public education, forcing educators to give students a distorted, limited education of what the world is like. Public education should be welcoming to all, and classrooms should be places of free inquiry–not censorship,” said Madison Markham, Program Coordinator of the Freedom to Read program at PEN America. “HB 1193 will have a devastating impact on Mississippi students, from kindergarten to graduate school. Governor Reeves must veto this bill and protect Mississippi students’ freedom to learn.”
Earlier this year, PEN America noted how the bill will put educators in “an impossible double bind,” mandating that they promote certain government-approved messages, such as teaching that “there are two genders,” while banning instruction and programs perceived to “increase awareness or understanding” of issues related to race and gender.
“Missisippi students, teachers and faculty are facing what could be the most extreme educational gag order in recent history,” said Laura Benitez, State Policy Manager at PEN America. “Prohibiting educators from ‘increasing understanding’ of any of the broad topics listed in the bill defeats the very purpose of education. To be clear, the challenge of reconciling the bill’s specific mandates for discussing some topics with the shocking breadth of the prohibitions would make this a catch-22: you just can’t follow all the requirements and provide quality instruction. We urge Mississippians to reach out to Governor Reeves and ask him to veto this dystopian bill.”
If you’re a Mississippi resident, you can take action today. Mississippi residents can contact Governor Reeves here: https://act.pen.org/a/veto-miss-bill-1193
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, mmargolies@pen.org, 718-530-3582