CONGRESSMAN JONATHAN L. JACKSON to vote NO on The End-Woke Higher Education Act

The End-Woke Higher Education Act (H.R. 3724) enshrines White supremacy on College Campuses.

In 1507, professors at the University of Padua canceled student vacations for Carnevale, prompting students to stage the first recorded campus protest by rioting and destroying lecture halls. This event marked the beginning of a long tradition of campus free speech. From the Harvard Butter Rebellion of 1766 to Howard University Law School’s “stool-sitting technique” in 1943, student activism has played a crucial role in shaping America’s political discourse and advancing justice.

This is why the First Amendment safeguards some of our most cherished rights as Americans. Any student who feels their First Amendment rights are being infringed upon can file a federal lawsuit against their public college or university. They can rely on over 200 years of precedent and case law that clarify how the First Amendment should be interpreted and enforced in such cases. These precedents specifically address the unique nature of colleges and universities as public entities that must uphold constitutional rights while ensuring safe learning environments for students.

The End-Woke Higher Education Act (H.R. 3724) is an extreme MAGA Republican messaging bill that combines two measures and serves as a thinly veiled attack on Black students, Black history, and academic freedom in college curricula.

The End-Woke Higher Education Act (H.R. 3724) is a controversial bill from extreme MAGA Republicans that combines two measures, targeting Black students, Black history, and academic freedom in college curricula. The Accreditation for College Excellence Act of 2023 (H.R. 3724) introduces White supremacist ideology into the college accreditation process, compromising educational quality. Under this bill, accreditors cannot evaluate a school’s commitment to any ‘ideology, belief, or viewpoint,’ effectively barring support for diversity, equity, or inclusion. This aims to revert to a time when colleges did not prioritize recruiting and educating Black students, promoting homogenous White educational institutions.

Additionally, The Respecting the First Amendment on Campus Act (H.R. 7683) seeks to alter the First Amendment, creating a new framework to regulate speech and association rights. This could allow religious student groups to discriminate against Black students using student activity fees. If public colleges and universities restrict certain types of speech due to safety concerns, they could face hefty fines and potential loss of Title IV aid. This provision could enable extremist White Supremacist groups like the KKK, Proud Boys, and Oath Keepers to infiltrate college campuses and recruit impressionable students.

Second, this bill introduces a “Prohibition on Litmus Tests” during the accreditation process for schools. Extreme MAGA Republicans aim to ensure that schools discriminating against Black students cannot lose accreditation for such practices. Conversely, the Department of Education could revoke an accreditor’s recognition if its standards for Black History are deemed “Critical Race Theory,” suggesting these standards force a university to adopt a “specific partisan, political, or ideological viewpoint or belief.”

Additionally, one of the many harmful policies in H.R. 3724 is the so-called Equal Campus Access provision. This would allow religious student clubs to bypass nondiscrimination requirements that apply to other student clubs funded by student activity fees. Student groups are a vital part of the college experience, and if this bill becomes law, minority students would be forced to subsidize groups that discriminate against them.

I will be voting NO on this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same. We have too much at stake to allow Extreme MAGA Republicans to inject far-right-wing conspiracy theories into our educational system.