FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Students, teachers, and other groups rallied Wednesday afternoon in the Capitol Rotunda to oppose two bills that they say would censor Kentucky teachers.
The two bills—House Bill 14 and House Bill 18—are sometimes referred to as anti-Critical Race Theory bills. If passed, the bills would ultimately ban teachers from talking about race in a way that could make anyone uncomfortable.
Several groups including the Kentucky Student Voice Team, Defenders of Accurate History, and KY120 United protested the bills Wednesday in Frankfort. The rally also featured high schools students who stressed the importance of teaching Native American and African American history.
Rally participants say that the bills would limit discussions of systemic racism in the state.
"Kentucky students need and deserve to learn accurate history, to practice having challenging conversations in our classrooms so that we can be prepared to address injustice beyond them," said Pragya Upreti, a senior at Lafayette High School.
"By preventing teachers from supporting us to do so, House Bills 14 and 18 undermine our success not only as individuals but as a commonwealth and a nation."
Another group of students called Mighty Shades of Ebony held a similar rally against anti-CRT bills Tuesday in the Capitol annex.
