HB793/SB836 , a proposed bill, with one version requiring proof of citizenship before enrolling students in Tennessee schools, challenges a fundamental right: access to education.
This bill is not just an administrative requirement but an attack on the lives of Tennessee’s children, their futures, and the promise of equality in our public education system.
I understand the struggle of having to prove your right to exist, to participate, to belong. I was raised in rural Tennessee during the 1950s, a time when registering the birth of a Black girl was not a priority. As a result, I spent my early years undocumented, despite being a citizen. Without a birth certificate, I had no proof of being born in the state I called home…