To the Editor:
The New Hampshire House recently passed HB 1135 which contained other bills, including an amendment from Keene Senator Kahn which called for requiring all school districts in New Hampshire to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides.
Two people spoke in opposition, both citing the bill might constitute an unfunded mandate, especially as part of the bill called for the creation of a special commission to study “best practices” in formulating curriculum for schools. One mentioned that the bill is redundant in that many, if not most schools, already teach about the Holocaust.
Among those who testified in favor were the New Hampshire Council of Churches, the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and a Holocaust survivor—all legislated to be on the special commission along with seven other members of the state government and New Hampshire schools.
Concerning the commission, there is no representative from the Black community such as the NAACP or Black Lives Matter. Millions of African-Americans died either during the passage from Africa or during enslavement. Moreover, no person of Indigenous origin was named to sit on the commission. Millions of Native people died beginning with Columbus’ four voyages to the Americas.
Such omissions of those communities of color who have been victimized in both history/herstory and in the present-day United States is absolutely shameful.
Will Thomas
N.H. VFP
Auburn, N.H.
Will:
It’s a measure of the need for this sort of education that so well-intended a bill should have such deficiencies.
The Editor