A Statement from the National Council for the Social Studies Officers
April 10, 2023

At the heart of social studies education is the goal to ensure that the next generation of Americans are informed, active, and responsible community members. As educators, we strive to instill in our students an appreciation for democracy and an understanding of the requirements necessary for a legitimate republican government. A critical tenet of American government is the faith that through the democratic process, Americans are able to elect individuals to represent them. These representatives espouse multiple perspectives and voices in a grand discourse, rooted in the freedom of speech, that seeks to learn from the past, understand the present, and impact the future. As social studies educators we are obligated to ensure that whenever principles of social studies education and pillars of our democracy are undermined that our voices are heard. 

This past week, the Tennessee House of Representatives attacked the foundational principles at the very heart of our democratic and republican norms when they voted to expel duly elected Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both young, Black men, from their chamber. Jones and Pearson, along with Representative Gloria Johnson, a white woman who was not expelled, exercised their rights guaranteed to them by both the Tennessee and United States constitutions and joined peaceful protesters who were calling on their elected lawmakers to address gun violence, specifically related to the recent shooting in a Nashville school. This shooting was the thirteenth school shooting in 2023 and so far this year, seventy four people have been killed or injured in American school shootings.https://www.npr.org/2023/03/29/1166651590/nashville-school-shootings-gun-violence-children-cause-death-2023 Action to prevent gun violence in schools is long overdue. The peaceful protesters were exercising their constitutional rights and responsibilities, holding elected officials accountable by engaging in freedom of speech, and as a result the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to silence their voice. This vote was motivated by lawmakers who continue to seek to silence the voices of those who disagree with them and not, as they claim, to punish the members for disrupting the House proceedings. 

The Tennessee House of Representatives has other ways to show its disapproval of a disruption of the chamber, such as censure, but instead, the Tennessee House of Representatives chose to expel two of the three lawmakers who participated in the protest. Since Reconstruction, the Tennessee House of Representatives has only expelled two other members – one member for soliciting a bribe and another for sexual misconduct.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/06/us/tennessee-house-democrats-expulsion-shooting-gun-control.html Grouping two representatives who participated in a peaceful protest–in an effort to address a national crisis that continues to result in the death of children–with those who participated in actions that were criminal in nature reflects the hypocrisy of the lawmakers involved. 

As a result of the vote to expel Representatives Jones and Pearson, two majority Black districts in Tennessee are currently without a voice in a government that has consistently attempted to silence Black and Brown voices through gerrymandering, excessive prison sentences, limiting voting access, and underfunding public education. In doing so, the government of Tennessee continues to send a message, whether intentional or not, to Tennessee students that to exercise their right to free speech and peaceful protest and to hold elected officials accountable is one that is reserved for those who have a specific view or perspective. Just as disturbing, this action sends a message to the larger community that civil discourse and active citizenship will result in punishment rather than in finding consensus in ways that uphold the principles of democracy and the functioning of our republic. As educators, we believe that these actions will have a long-term impact on our students’ faith in the democratic process and our constitutional principles. 

We, the officers of the National Council for the Social Studies, urge lawmakers in Tennessee and across the country to adhere to the constitutional principles of our republic, uphold the principles of democracy, and respect the rights of all elected officials to express their views without fear of retribution. These actions, as well as other recent actions in states that seek to limit freedom of speech, limit access to books and ideas, prevent the discussion of current events, and restrict students from learning that people have experienced history, government, and economics differently, threatens our very democracy. We also urge voters, in all fifty states, to hold elected officials accountable for these attacks on the foundational principles of our government. 
 

Dr. Shannon M. Pugh (NBCT)
NCSS President

Mr. Wesley Hedgepeth 
NCSS President-Elect

Ms. Jenny Morgan 
NCSS Vice President

Mr. Anton Schulzki 
NCSS Immediate Past President