How much do you remember from your American history classes? If you’re like the average citizen, probably not much. Did you even take a U.S. history class in college?
The Ohio Legislature got involved in the debate over our collective civic illiteracy by approving Senate Bill 1 last year, requiring all students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at public state universities to take and pass a class covering specific aspects of American history and civics. Politicians being politicians, the bill also included a number of unrelated directives: university DEI departments must be dissolved, along with diversity statements; faculty strikes are prohibited over unfair practices; academic programs with small graduating class numbers over a three-year period must be eliminated; and safeguards must be enacted against the interference and influence of the People’s Republic of China.
Spearheaded by Ohio State Senator Jerry Cirino, a Republican from the Cleveland area, SB1 was framed as a way to preserve free expression on college campuses. The bill claims to enhance both speech and academic freedom, not limit them, “with a requirement that diversity of thought be promoted,” according to his January 2025 news release introducing the bill…