Tennessee public schools could soon become Christian nationalist propaganda centers.
Senate Bill 1828 is headed to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk very soon. This disastrous bill has the power to radically alter American history classes in Tennessee. With your help, there may be a chance to stop Christian nationalists from distorting American history into a pro-religion fallacy. Please urge Gov. Lee to veto this bill now!
SB 1828 seeks to turn public schools into tools of Christian nationalist indoctrination. The bill would encourage schools to promote a one-sided, fictionalized narrative of religion’s “positive” influence on American history. Teachers would be allowed to highlight the supposed Christian underpinnings of American liberty, all while conveniently obscuring the harmful roles religion has played, from justifying slavery and segregation to opposing women’s suffrage, civil rights, LGBTQ+ equality and science itself.
The bill presents an extensive list of cherry-picked or deceptive “historical accounts.” It falsely frames the Ten Commandments as the basis of American law — a myth repeatedly rejected by courts and historians. It treats the addition of “In God We Trust” and “under God” during the Cold War as timeless truths rather than political maneuvers that came nearly 200 years after the nation’s founding. It conflates the Declaration of Independence, with its sparse Enlightenment-era deistic references, with the godless U.S. Constitution.
Even worse, as examples of “accurate and historical instruction,” the bill lists various blatant falsehoods, such as the “historic role of the black robe regiment” — a whole-cloth lie invented by pseudo-historian David Barton and Glenn Beck, and the claim that Benjamin Franklin suggested to Thomas Paine that he should burn his book “The Age of Reason,” even though Franklin died in 1790 and Paine did not begin writing The Age of Reason until 1794.
SB 1828 must be stopped. Eroding education has been a long-term goal for religious lawmakers to perpetuate their ideology — but you still have a chance to fight back. Please take action today, and urge Gov. Lee to veto this bill. We have included suggested language through the “Take Action” button that can be edited by clicking or tapping on the pencil icon. The best way to get his attention is to share your personal perspective, so please take the time to share your own story if you can.
Additionally, after sending the emails, you will be prompted to call Gov. Lee as well — even leaving a phone message shows your dedication to the cause! For best results, please be succinct and polite.
(Note: You must live in Tennessee in order to take part in this action alert.)