North Carolina Council on the Holocaust Continues Lobbying Efforts for Holocaust and Genocide Act

By Michael Abramson, Chairman, NC Council on the Holocaust

The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust continues to lead the lobbying efforts at the North Carolina General Assembly to pass the Holocaust and Genocide Act. The act will require middle school and high school teachers to teach about the Holocaust where appropriate (e.g., when teaching about World War II, the role of the United States in helping refugees or displaced persons, or world history in the 20th century). The act will also require that all teachers be trained in the history of the Holocaust and on how to teach the Holocaust to their students.

The Holocaust and Genocide Act incorporates substantial provisions of the Never Again Education Act (Public Law 116-141) passed by the United States Congress on May 29, 2020. More specifically, the Holocaust and Genocide Act requires consistent use of definitions from the Never Again Education Act for the following terms: “antisemitism,” “Holocaust,” and “Holocaust denial and distortion.”

The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust has been charged as the primary organization to coordinate with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to teach the teachers and to create a standard course of study by grade level. The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust has contacted the Stan Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice to assist in creating the course of study and in educating teachers. As of this writing on April 1,

2021, the Holocaust and Genocide Act has passed the House Education Committee and is awaiting final vote by the North Carolina House of Representatives. The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust is currently working with leaders at the North Carolina Senate to pass similar legislation.

The North Carolina Council on the Holocaust has presented more than a dozen webinars for teachers since January of this year. Another eight webinars are planned for the rest of the spring semester. Additionally, the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust purchases classroom sets (30 copies) of books and other resources for teachers as well as sponsors visits to schools by Holocaust survivors and children of Holocaust survivors.

For more information about the North Carolina Council on the Holocaust, please email Michael Abramson at mabramson919@gmail.com and visit the following websites: www.ncpublicschools.org/holocaust-council and https://ncholocaustcouncilworkshops.org.