US lawmakers from 20 states pledge to mandate Holocaust education

Some 26 legislators representing 20 states are committing to introduce legislation that would require public schools to teach about the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide and other genocides.

The states are among the 42 in the United States that do not already require education on genocide awareness and prevention, the New York-based Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect says in announcing that it had obtained the commitments as part of its 50 State Genocide Education Project to mandate genocide education in public schools across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The center’s announcement came today, observed this year both as Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

—JTA