Alabama Senate passes bill to teach inclusive, factual history

Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, discusses district maps during a special session, Friday, July 21, 2023 in Montgomery, Ala. (Alabama Reflector Photo by Stew Milne)

A bill that would require history instruction to be fact-based and inclusive passed the Senate Thursday after little discussion.

SB35, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, says history and social studies instruction will be “fact-based, historically accurate, and inclusive of the history and contributions of minority groups.”

“This bill will require social studies and history instruction to be fact based, historically-accurate and inclusive, long story short,” said Smitherman.

No other senators had questions on the bill.

The bill passed 27-1, with one abstention. It goes to the House of Representatives.

Earlier in the session, the Legislature passed a bill that would limit the teaching of “divisive concepts,” such as “ “the moral character of an individual is determined by his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.”

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