NAACP joins legal challenge against Arkansas in bid to fight anti-DEI efforts
The NAACP has joined the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights in filing a complaint against the state of Arkansas for underfunding an advanced placement African American studies high school course.
The complaint alleges that under the state’s Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking and School Safety Act — or LEARNS Act — the course has received inequitable treatment and been underfunded compared to other advanced placement courses. The NAACP argues that the LEARNS Act is yet another attack on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts around the nation.
“From Arkansas to Alabama, the desecration of diversity, equity, and inclusion poses an imminent threat to the future of our nation. Make no mistake, these coordinated efforts to rewrite our history, remove our leaders from classrooms, and degrade our culture are a covert attempt to revert the progress we’ve worked tirelessly to secure,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, in a statement.
“We refuse to go back. The NAACP will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that our constitutional rights are protected and our culture respected. This is what standing for community looks like.”
The complaint alleges that the AP African American studies course has been singled out by the state’s decision to not allow the course to be used toward graduation credit and its refusal to pay students’ testing fees. This, the plaintiffs argue, is in direct contrast to how the state treats other AP courses.
The suit adds that the disparity “perpetuates systemic inequalities in education and deprives students of the opportunity to learn about the rich history and contributions of African Americans.”
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include two high school teachers and two students from Little Rock Central High School — the same high school the Little Rock Nine attended after the Supreme Court ruled that schools must desegregate.
It is also Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s alma mater.
Sanders signed the LEARNS Act into law in January 2023 as an executive order. It was designed to prohibit “indoctrination" and the teaching of critical race theory in the state’s public schools.
At the time, Sanders said, critical race theory had no place in Arkansas classrooms because it is “antithetical to the traditional American values of neutrality, equality, and fairness. It emphasizes skin color as a person's primary characteristic, thereby resurrecting segregationist values, which America has fought so hard to reject."
Under the Act, the Arkansas Department of Education created an "enhanced processes and policies that prevent prohibited indoctrination, including Critical Race Theory, as it relates to employees, contractors, and guest speakers or lecturers of the department."
David Hinojosa, Director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law argued that the act prohibits students from receiving a full education on the nation’s history.
Instead, he argued, teachers are being forced to censor themselves and students are receiving a “whitewashed” version of American history because it “makes some people uncomfortable.”
“Frankly, it’s downright offensive and unjust for Arkansas to be forcing educators to censor their discussion on racism and stripping the AP African American Studies course of all its benefits, including extra weight for their GPAs, and potentially earning college credit,” Hinojosa added.
The complaint from the NAACP and the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights alleges that the state did not offer guidance on how to implement the LEARNS Act.
Still, the plaintiffs argue, Jacob Olivia, secretary of Arkansas's department of education, revoked approval of the course just days before the 2023-24 school year began.
This action, the suit claims, caused “tremendous anxiety, stress, and consternation for teachers, parents, and students alike across Arkansas” and ultimately resulted in the deletion of the AP course code from the state course catalog.
The “attack,” plaintiffs add, has since started a chain reaction of constitutional, economic and physical harms, the complaint alleges.
“The Black community in Arkansas has a decades-long history of fighting for equitable education,” said Barry Jefferson, president of the Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP. “Let’s not forget — it was Arkansas children who shouldered the responsibility of integrating our nation’s schools. Nearly 7 decades later, we carry the torch by fighting for the right for that history to be taught.”
In addition to the complaint, the plaintiffs have called on the federal court to enact an injunction to prevent the LEARNS Act from being enforced while the case is litigated.
“The recent enactment of this legislation and discriminatory treatment of AP African American studies are an unconstitutional attempt to erode educational equity within our state,” Jefferson said. “But we know we’re not alone, and we’re determined to ensure the sacrifices of yesterday are not held in vain as we look toward the prospects of tomorrow.”
Date: |
Filter
-
Ubisoft appoints Cécile Russeil as EVP of Comms, DEI, HR, Legal
Ubisoft has named Cécile Russeil as its new Executive Vice President of Communications, Corporate Affairs, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, Human Resources and Legal. Russeil has worked for Ubisoft for more than 30 years in key leadership ...VentureBeat - Tech -
TikTok CEO plans to fight against a bill that could ban the app
President Joe Biden signed the bill that would ban TikTok in the United States if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell it in 270 days, but CEO Shou Zi Chew vows to fight back against legislation. NBC’s Savannah Sellers reports for TODAY.NBC News - Politics - Tiktok -
Surprise Tactics and Legal Threats: Inside R.F.K. Jr.’s Ballot Access Fight
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s effort to get on the ballot in 50 states has already cost millions, federal campaign finance records show.The New York Times - Top stories -
Trump Media’s fight turns to legal short selling, as ‘DJT’ shares rise again
Shares of Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. rallied again Monday, and have now more than doubled over roughly two weeks, after the latest assault by the parent of Donald Trump’s social-media platform Truth Social against short selling — this ...MarketWatch - Business - Donald Trump -
Lobbying World: FTC, White House alum joins anti-monopoly watchdog
Elizabeth Wilkins will join the American Economic Liberties Project as a senior fellow. Wilkins comes from the Federal Trade Commission, where she was chief of staff to the chair and director of the Office of Policy Planning, and she was ...The Hill - Politics -
The anti-DEI EDUCATE Act has no place in 21st-century medicine
The EDUCATE Act is a distraction from what we must really do to create a nation of health equity—address the social determinants of health, invest in universal affordable and accessible health care and bolster a diverse health care workforce.The Hill - Politics -
Estate of Tupac Shakur threatens legal action against Drake over AI diss track
Drake used AI to simulate the voice of the late rapper and have him chide Kendrick Lamar, which the estate calls a ‘flagrant violation’. The estate of the late Tupac Shakur has sent a cease and desist letter to Drake, following the release of a ...The Guardian - World -
Championship roundup: Hull fight back to dent Ipswich’s promotion challenge
Ipswich still in third after conceding late equaliser in 3-3 drawHuddersfield all but relegated after draw with BirminghamOmari Hutchinson scored twice but Hull came from behind three times to stop Ipswich moving into the Championship promotion ...The Guardian - World -
Venice launches world first tourist entrance fee in bid to fight overcrowding
Visitors to Venice will have to pay for an entry fee after the Italian city became the first in the world to introduce a charging system for tourists.NBC News - Top stories -
Indonesia election: Prabowo formally declared president-elect after court rejects legal challenges
Rivals had said February election won by former general was undermined by state interference and unfair rule changes. Indonesia’s electoral commission has formally declared Prabowo Subianto president-elect in a ceremony, after the country’s ...The Guardian - World - Indonesia
More from The Hill
-
Riot police drag away protesters at University of Texas as Gaza tensions flare
State troopers in riot gear moved on Monday afternoon to clear out students attempting to occupy a quad at the University of Texas at Austin. Dozens of protesters were arrested on site, escalating tensions that began on Wednesday when the ...The Hill - Politics -
Jill Stein accuses police of assaulting her at protest
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein on Sunday alleged police assaulted her and other demonstrators shortly before being arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. “Basically, the police ...The Hill - Politics -
US finds Israeli military units violated human rights
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story US finds Israeli military units violated human rights The State Department has determined that at least five Israeli ...The Hill - Politics - Israel -
Evening Report — Protests continue to spread on college campuses
A quick recap of the day and what to look forward to tomorrow {beacon} Evening Report © AP Pro-Palestinian protests escalate on college campuses Hundreds of students have been arrested on college campuses across the country as ...The Hill - Politics -
FCC fines wireless carriers
Presented by Microsoft — {beacon} Technology Technology PRESENTED BY The Big Story FCC fines major mobile carriers $200M The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a fine totaling $200 million to the nation’s four largest mobile ...The Hill - Politics