Civics in the News

The July special session continues as Texas House Democrats remain in DC to prevent harmful legislation on the Governor’s agenda from passing. Texas Republicans have retaliated by threatening arrest and by stripping Democrats like Rep. Joe Moody of his leadership position.

Texas Senate Republicans have continued to pass laws including SB 3, which would expand censorship bill HB 3979 to limit civic learning and restrict open discussion about race & discrimination in all subjects, as well as stripping amendments that would require teaching about the Chicano movement, Native American history, Frederick Douglass, or the history of white supremacy. Dozens of Texas students, teachers, and parents testified last month against SB 3 and in support of honest education.

Texas Representatives Nicole Collier, Senfronia Thompson, Diego Bernal, and Travis Clardy as well as Vice President of Litigation for MALDEF Nina Perales provided testimony and answered questions about Texas’ voter suppression laws for a U.S. House subcommittee. Republicans on the committee called Texas representatives cowards and argued that they should have stayed to propose amendments and deliberate with Republicans. Rep. Collier shot back, telling them their “backs were against the wall.”

As Chair Jamie Raskin put it, “You cannot out organize a law that criminalizes you from helping your grandmother to vote.” Soon after the hearing, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee was arrested after leading a Black voting rights action in protest of the lack of action on the For the People Act.

The first hearing on the January 6th insurrection was held last month. Watch testimony by Sergeant Aquilino Gonell and Sergeant Harry Dunn who defended the Capital.

August 2021

As we enter August, enough Texas Democrats remain in Washington, D.C. to prevent legislation from passing through the House due to absence of a quorum. Nonetheless, the Texas Senate has passed voter suppression bill SB 1 and censorship bill SB 3, and Governor Abbott has promised that similar legislation will be back on the agenda in a future special session. It remains vital to speak up in favor of voting rights and youth civic engagement, and CDF-Texas remains grateful for our many partners who have joined us in this effort.

Children’s Defense Fund – Texas is hosting a Redistricting 101 training with Texas Civic Rights Project’s Redistricting Fellow, Miguel Rivera, this Wednesday August 4 from 7p to 8p. Register here.
in the CivXNow Policy Summit next month to discuss the need for civic education and upcoming legislative opportunities to accelerate progress. Register in advance for the virtual convening here.
he Mexican American Civil Rights Institute is hosting their annual Virtual Symposium August 13 to 14. Learn about the history of Mexican American civil rights by registering here.

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TEACHING THROUGH A CRISIS

As summer comes to an end, teachers face the responsibility of teaching through the ongoing democratic crisis and supporting their students to become lifelong civic participants. This month, we have included resources for topics stripped from Senate Bill 3. We welcome you to use these free resources to shape an inclusive and culturally competent classroom.

Facing History

With Latinos anticipated to soon become the majority in Texas, teaching Chicano history is more important than ever before. Check out Facing History’s brief collection of videos and lessons here.

First Nations Development Institute

This institute has compiled a list of books that staff believe are essential to understanding the Native American experience. There are multiple categories and a separate list for children and young people.

Learning for Justice

Introduce your students to Frederick Douglass using this lesson plan. Additional lesson plans can be found here, here, and here.

Educators For Social Change

This collection on white supremacy and systemic racism includes resources about Black Lives Matter and colonization. Resources include lesson plans, videos, worksheets, and more.

Retro Report

Unsure of how to teach about gerrymandering in a nonpartisan way? This lesson plan from Retro Report includes a video, questions, prompts, and additional resources.