IBLC issues statement following meeting with Attorney General Rokita on his Parental Bill of Rights

INDIANAPOLIS – Members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) met with Attorney General Todd Rokita today to discuss his Parental Bill of Rights and critical race theory. The IBLC issued the following statement regarding their concerns and priorities moving forward:

“Because the Attorney General did not reach out to us, we reached out to him to discuss his office's release of a Parental Bill of Rights, a document that is not so much based in legality as it is personal bias. We must realize that when documents like this are put out on the state-level, from positions of power, they are taken as fact and applied to all communities. It is irresponsible to allow such an unbalanced viewpoint to dictate how every Hoosier student must learn about their own history.

“History is written by those who experience it. There is no one truth, no single viewpoint, as there is no one kind of person. To truly educate our children on their own ancestry and their nation's history, we must acknowledge this fact. Learning about race and history can be sensitive and uncomfortable, yes, but it is necessary if we want our children to thrive and create a better future for Indiana.

“The IBLC is dedicated to promoting factual education about race to all Hoosier students. We trust and support our state's teachers to implement those teachings in whichever way is best for their students, whether that be reading books specifically about racism or doing group exercises to highlight the racial makeup of their class. We encourage the Attorney General and our fellow state officials to simply let our teachers teach.

“We appreciate the Attorney General's commitment to update his Parental Bill of Rights to reflect a more balanced viewpoint of diverse, historically accurate teachings. We also encourage him to focus on the legality of critical race theory within the Indiana Code, as this would most appropriately achieve his purpose of providing an educational and informative document to Hoosiers. As it stands, there is no law stating that critical race theory must be taught in Indiana schools.

“Looking forward, the discussion about education on race in Indiana will continue and evolve as more leaders become willing to sit at the table and hear others' views. The IBLC plans to present our own legislation during the 2022 Legislative Session to promote cultural competency in schools in order to facilitate a positive and supportive environment for these teachings and conversations. We stand with Hoosier students, parents and teachers, speaking in a unified voice, to say it is time to learn our history, all of it.”