JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Thursday, the Mississippi House passed legislation (SB 2113) that would prohibit the teaching of critical race theory in K-12 public schools and in the state’s public universities and community colleges.
After several hours of debate, the House passed the bill 74-43. After the passage of the proposal, House Democrats met on the steps of the Mississippi State Capitol. They said they’re considering legal action against the bill.
Critical race theory is an academic framework that examines how racism has shaped public policy and institutions such as the legal system, and how those have perpetuated the dominance of white people in society.
Gov. Tate Reeves previously stated he would ban the theory from being taught in schools. Supporters of critical race theory said it’s a misunderstanding of the academic framework, which examines the role racism plays in systems like health care, education and housing.
Officials with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) have maintained that critical race theory is not taught at the K-12 level.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
