Legislation filed to require teaching of historical Thanksgiving proclamations

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed Senate Bill 2, which would require Oklahoma educational institutions to provide students with an understanding of the history and meanings of the Thanksgiving holiday.

“It is important for all students to understand the importance of our nation’s history, including the role Thanksgiving plays in forming our country,” Dahm said. “These significant proclamations date back to our founding fathers, and students reading or hearing them leading up to Thanksgiving will give them a better understanding of what the holiday truly means historically.”

The measure includes five proclamations to be read or heard by students in Oklahoma’s public school districts, public charter schools, virtual charter schools, career and technology schools, and higher education institutions. The list includes:

The Proclamation by the Continental Congress for a day of Thanksgiving in 1777

The First Presidential Prayer Proclamation issued by George Washington in 1789

The Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944

The Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by Ronald Reagan in 1985

The Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by Oklahoma City Mayor Sidney Clarke in 1889

Dahm filed this legislation last year, but it did not complete the legislative process. SB 2 can be heard when the 59th Legislature convenes on Feb. 6.