Nearly half of all students in the U.S. now attend school in a state where teachers have been banned from teaching the truth about systemic racism, gender oppression, and the struggles for liberation that have shaped this country. These “truthcrime” laws not only censor honest history—they criminalize educators, silence students, and escalate authoritarianism.

That’s why we’re organizing the 5th annual Teach Truth Day of Action on Saturday, June 7—with some 200 events already scheduled from Alaska to Puerto Rico, Hawaii to Barcelona. Educators, students, parents, caregivers, and community members will gather at historic sites, public parks, libraries, and schools to resist these attacks and defend the freedom to learn.

This year is especially urgent given the dramatic escalation of attacks on education.

Across the country, students and educators are being punished for allowing students to learn about Palestine. Classroom discussions about Isreal’s genocide, settler colonialism, and state violence are being shut down. But it doesn’t stop there. Teachers have been disciplined for teaching about Black history, for discussing gender identity, for acknowledging climate change, or for sharing books by authors of color. In Florida, the state has officially adopted curriculum standards that teach students that slavery was of “personal benefit” to Black people. What we are witnessing is not isolated—it’s a full-scale assault on truth and critical thinking. From book bans to graduation shutdowns, this is a coordinated campaign to erase marginalized voices and rewrite history in service of white supremacy and authoritarianism.

If you sign up to host a June 7th Teach Truth Day event through the Zinn Education Project, you’ll receive:

• Free downloadable materials and graphics
• Support and promotion for your local event
• And a free copy of my new book, Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education, or another title that supports the movement for honest education.

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✊🏾 Host or Join an Event

It’s not too late to organize an event in your area! Sign up at the Zinn Education Project to receive:

• Free resources and downloadable materials
• Templates and customizable graphics for your event
• A free copy of my new book Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education or another title that supports the movement
• National promotion of your event
• Ongoing support from our team to make it successful

Ideas for events include:
📚 A banned book read-in
🏛️ A historical walking tour
🎓 A teach-in or mini-lesson in a public space
📣 A rally, speakout, or information table at a historic site
🎨 Creating protest art or poetry to uplift silenced voices

All events should use the hashtag #TeachTruth and can be shared with the Zinn Education Project for national promotion.

A Legacy of Resistance

For the Teach Truth Day in Seattle, we’ll gather at the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA, a historic site of the 1966 Freedom Schools, to uplift the history of Seattle’s Black-led student school boycott and connect it to the ongoing struggle for liberatory education today. From that powerful legacy, we draw strength. And from the courage of young people standing up for Palestine, LGBTQIA+ rights, and racial justice, we draw purpose.

We will not be silent.
We will not be erased.
We will not let them ban the truth, ban joy, or ban our students’ right to be their full selves.

In solidarity,
Jesse Hagopian
Author of Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education
Director, Zinn Education Project’s Teaching for Black Lives campaign