As America celebrates Black History Month, I must let it be known that the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus stands opposed to efforts here and abroad to silence the voices of teachers, administrators, historians, and others who teach Mississippi history and our state’s critical role in the Civil Rights Movement.

History is important because it helps to gauge where we are, who we are, and how much we have evolved from our sometimes dark and shameful past.

History gives us a guidepost to know where we must improve and do better to avoid the mistakes that now cause some amongst us to want our past hidden – to promote an outright lie about ourselves.

Our state’s educators have been operating under the authority of state law to acknowledge and educate Mississippi’s students in all aspects of our state’s history without incident for many years and we believe that authority should continue. We want to be clear: We stand in firm opposition to Senate Bill 2113 and any other bill(s) that aim to censor history or the teaching of historical facts, events, or occurrences. Censorship of history in any form or fashion is not the American way.

We urge all Mississippians to do their parts to educate our youth and let them know knowledge heaped with understanding will make us all better people. We should strive to correct the mistakes of our past and become an example to the world of doing what is right and just. We should all embrace the truths of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said ‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.’

Senator Angela Turner Ford
Chairwoman, Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus