FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 21
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR WILLIAMS.
0603S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 170, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to instruction on the
dehumanization of marginalized groups in Missouri.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 170, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 170.390, to read as 2
follows:3
170.390. 1. For purposes of this section, the 1
following terms shall mean: 2
(1) "Dehumanization", the violation of a person's 3
human rights or bodily autonomy, including, but not limited 4
to, violations of a person's agency that occur as a result 5
of genocide or slavery; 6
(2) "Department", the department of elementary and 7
secondary education; 8
(3) "Marginalized groups", groups of people who have 9
been subjected to dehumanization for reasons that may or may 10
not relate to identifying traits such as national origin, 11
race, or sex. 12
2. The state board of education shall convene a work 13
group to be known as the "Humanity Education Curriculum 14
Framework Work Group" for purposes of developing a 15
curriculum framework of age appropriate instruction for 16
students in grades six to twelve on the dehumanization of 17
marginalized groups in Missouri. The department shall 18 SB 21 2
develop the curriculum framework in partnership with the 19
work group. Members of the work group shall include, but 20
shall not be limited to, educators or other experts in the 21
areas of history, human rights, or social science. 22
3. The curriculum framework shall be desi gned to 23
deepen students' knowledge and understanding of topics that 24
shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following: 25
(1) Dehumanization practices that have occurred or may 26
be occurring in Missouri; 27
(2) The dangers that may occur wh en dehumanization of 28
others goes unchallenged; 29
(3) The dangers of indifference toward the 30
dehumanization of others; 31
(4) How to identify the warning signs of future 32
dehumanization of others; 33
(5) The interventions that may be available t o prevent 34
dehumanization of others; 35
(6) How to examine the world with greater insight; and 36
(7) The preservation of the story of Celia, an 37
enslaved woman of African descent born in 1836 and purchased 38
in 1850 at the age of fourteen by Robert N ewsom, a Missouri 39
farmer. Celia was a victim of chattel slavery and sexual 40
violence who was executed in Missouri in 1855 for defending 41
herself against Robert Newsom. 42
4. The curriculum framework shall incorporate age 43
appropriate instruction on th e dehumanization of 44
marginalized groups in Missouri, including, but not limited 45
to, the following: 46
(1) African Americans and persons of African descent; 47
(2) Immigrant Americans, including German and Irish 48
immigrants; 49 SB 21 3
(3) Native Americans, including the Chickasaw, 50
Delaware, Kanza, Ioway, Otoe -Missouria, Osage, Quapaw, Sac 51
and Fox, Shawnee, and Missouri tribes; and 52
(4) Victims of abduction, exploitation, human 53
trafficking, kidnapping, and sexual assault. 54
5. The curriculum framework shall be aligned to 55
existing awareness weeks or months that may include, but 56
shall not be limited to, the following: 57
(1) American Education Week in November; 58
(2) Black History Month in February; 59
(3) Immigrant Heritage Month in June; 60
(4) Native American Heritage Month in November; 61
(5) Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April; and 62
(6) Universal Human Rights Month in December. 63
6. The department shall conduct a pilot program in 64
consultation with the work gro up in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 65
school years. The curriculum framework shall be made 66
available to up to twenty -five school districts or schools 67
within a school district as part of the pilot program. 68
7. (1) As part of the pilot program, the work gr oup 69
shall develop a professional development program for 70
teachers to be known as the "Celia Professional Development 71
Program for Teachers". Each school district or school that 72
participates in the pilot program shall provide a plan of 73
professional development to such district's or school's 74
teachers and may voluntarily participate in the Celia 75
professional development program for teachers. 76
(2) The Celia professional development program for 77
teachers shall include instructional guidance and 78
incorporate examples of curriculum resources developed by 79
publishers of nonfiction, trade books, and primary sources 80
that are age appropriate and consistent with the curriculum 81 SB 21 4
framework and that deal with civil rights, genocide, the 82
Holocaust, human right s violations, and slavery. The 83
instructional guidance shall encourage the incorporation of 84
liberator, rescuer, survivor, and witness oral testimony. 85
As used in this subdivision, "oral testimony" means the 86
firsthand accounts of significant historical events 87
presented in a format that includes, but is not limited to, 88
in-person testimony or a multimedia option, such as a DVD or 89
an online video. 90
(3) The Celia professional development program for 91
teachers shall include guidance on class visits to historic 92
sites in Missouri relating to the story of Celia's 93
enslavement, abuse, and execution. 94
8. Upon completion of the first year of the pilot 95
program, the department shall evaluate the success and 96
impact of the pilot program and shall report the results of 97
such evaluation to: 98
(1) The joint committee on education or any successor 99
committee; 100
(2) The house committee on elementary and secondary 101
education or any other education committee designated by the 102
speaker of the house of rep resentatives; and 103
(3) The senate committee on education or any other 104
education committee designated by the president pro tempore 105
of the senate. 106
9. Beginning with the 2028 -29 school year and in all 107
subsequent school years, the curriculum fram ework and Celia 108
professional development program for teachers shall be made 109
available to all school districts and charter schools in the 110
state. The department shall periodically update the 111
curriculum framework and Celia professional development 112
program for teachers in consultation with educators or other 113 SB 21 5
experts in the areas of history, human rights, or social 114
science. 115