In a stand against efforts to bury Black history, leaders from the nation's major civil rights organizations have rallied behind the Freedom to Learn campaign. On the brink of the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer and the 70th anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, these leaders are pushing back against a disturbing trend.

Marc Morial of the National Urban League, Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network, and other civil rights leaders, including NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson and Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights President and CEO Maya Wiley, have united. Their fight? The so-called Project 2025, a far-right initiative aiming to roll back civil rights protections and undermine democratic norms by promoting book bans, curriculum censorship, and attacks on Black and LGBTQ+ authors.

These leaders argue that the current wave of attacks on educational freedom is part of a larger, well-funded effort by extremists to reshape American democracy. They emphasize the importance of including diverse histories and narratives in the educational system to reflect a more accurate and inclusive story of America.

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