Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Media contacts:

Jack Song
jack@theworkeragency.com

Deborah Menkart
dmenkart@teachingforchange.org

From Alaska to Puerto Rico, Educators Host 200 Events on June 7th Teach Truth Day of Action to Challenge Full-Scale Assault on Public Education

Fifth annual nationwide rallies and teach-ins, led by educators, students, and local communities, aim to pushback unprecedented and increasing legislative efforts to censor history and restrict learning in K-12 classrooms

[Washington, DC] – [June 2, 2025] – On Saturday, June 7, 2025, educators, students, parents, and activists across the United States will participate in the fifth annual Teach Truth Day of Action. There will be over 200 events across the nation, including the District of Columbia, Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, and many others. This nationwide initiative, led by the Zinn Education Project (coordinated by Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change), in partnership with the National Education Association (NEA) and cosponsored by more than 80 prominent national civil rights and advocacy organizations, aims to defend the right to an honest and inclusive education and to resist the rapidly growing government efforts to censor history and restrict learning in K-12 classrooms. 

This year’s Day of Action takes place amid a full-scale assault on public education. These activities directly respond to the Department of Education’s initiative aimed at eliminating public schools and the presidential executive order of eliminating the Department of Education and banning discussions on critical historical and contemporary subjects, including climate change, racism, sexism, LGBTQ+ identity, systemic oppression, and the diverse history of communities within the United States. These attacks have been coupled with the state-level censorship laws and local district crackdowns designed to whitewash history, silence marginalized voices, and intimidate teachers.

Educators and allies are hosting a variety of public events, including rallies at historic sites, people’s history mini-lessons in public spaces, history walking tours, information tables at libraries and community centers, and screenings of award-winning documentaries like Banned Together. 

“As educators, we have the professional and moral responsibility to defend an accurate, inclusive education and the rights of all of our students, no matter their race, gender identity, or immigration status. We call on all educators, students, families, and public education allies to rise with us,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “This day of action across the country is a commitment by educators to teach full and accurate U.S. history and current events, and to affirm the humanity of all students. It is a call to raise awareness of the dangers of lying to students about the existence and persistence of structural and systemic racism, and all forms of oppression. This is more than a day of action. It’s a line in the sand. We will not lie to children. We will not erase the past. We will welcome every student — every one — and we will not back down.”

Since 2021, more than 800 pieces of legislation have been introduced across the states aimed to censor teachers on historic and current topics. Organizers argue that the alarming surge in censorship, a hallmark of authoritarianism, is deliberately eroding the foundations of a well-informed citizenry and threatening democratic principles, and the public must fight back by demanding uncensored curricula, supporting educators on the front lines, and actively championing intellectual freedom. 

“Education censorship laws are a warning sign of a deeper authoritarian threat — one that aims to control how young people think” said Seattle educator and Zinn Education Project campaign director Jesse Hagopian. “When the government tries to erase the truth about racism, colonialism, LGBTQIA+ identity, and the climate crisis, they’re not just closing the door on the past — they’re locking students out of the future. Teaching truth hands the keys to the youth, allowing them to unlock their potential to create thriving communities rooted in solidarity.”

The Zinn Education Project is providing resources, training, and support for local event hosts and are urging communities to come together to protect the future of democracy and justice by ensuring young people have access to an uncensored education. Event hosts will highlight local histories at risk of being obscured and distribute information to the public on how to defend the freedom to teach and learn.  

Event information:

What: Nationwide Teach Truth Day of Action

When: Saturday, June 7, 2025

Where: Various locations across the United States. 

Why: To advocate for the right to teach and learn an honest, inclusive U.S. history and to oppose censorship in education; to ensure world-class, quality education for our K-12 students. 

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ABOUT THE ZINN EDUCATION PROJECT

The Zinn Education Project offers free lessons, professional development, teacher study groups, campaigns, books, and other resources for middle and high school classrooms to bring people’s history to the classroom. Coordinated by the non-profit organizations Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change, more than 170,000 teachers have signed up to access lessons since the project was founded in 2008.