This op-ed was originally published in the Tennessean.
By Gloria Sweetlove
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.
I have also witnessed the frustration of families trying to gather the necessary paperwork to enroll a child in school. The process is often lengthy, confusing, and burdened with bureaucratic red tape, discouraging many from completing it.
HB793/SB836 disregards these obstacles and creates unnecessary barriers to education.
As a former school board member in Haywood County and former president of the Tennessee School Board Association, I know the strain this bill would put on our under-resourced schools. Teachers and administrators are already stretched thin; now we’re asking them to become immigration officers. It is an unrealistic expectation that will further burden our schools and leave vulnerable students behind.
But the most dangerous aspect of HB793/SB836 is its impact on our community as a whole. This bill is not just a challenge for one group; it is an attack on all of us.
All children in America have the right to learn
Its goal is to overturn the constitutional precedent ofPlyler v. Doe, which guarantees all children access to free public education, a practice that has been in place for over 150 years.
History shows that when one group is denied basic rights, it creates division, fear, and a climate where no one is truly safe. This bill fuels those divisions and undermines the values of inclusion, equality, and justice that we hold dear.
To protect the right to learn for all children, the Tennessee NAACP helped launch Education for All Tennessee, a coalition of over 60 organizations across the state. Now, the NAACP, both in Tennessee and nationally, stands firmly against HB793/SB836.
This bill will create more division, hardship, and barriers for Tennessee’s children. It is time to stand up for our future and the promise of a public education system that welcomes every child, regardless of background or circumstance.
