ACTA Sends Letter of Support on Mississippi REACH Act Legislation 

On February 2, 2024, ACTA sent a letter to Mississippi Senator Angela Burks Hill in support of Senate Bill 2065, the Reinforcing College Education on America’s Constitutional Heritage (REACH) Act. The bill would require undergraduate students at public institutions of higher education to take a three-semester-credit-hour course on American history that includes the study of the following primary documents: the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. The text of the letter can be found below. 

I wanted to reach out to you in light of your recent work on Senate Bill 2065. As a nonprofit organization committed to preserving academic freedom, academic excellence, and accountability in higher education, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) appreciates your efforts to ensure that all students in Mississippi receive at least introductory instruction in the principles of American democracy and the history of our republic. We share your sentiment that an education which provides students with a working knowledge of America’s history and governing institutions is increasingly important in today’s polarized political climate.  

For over 25 years, ACTA has worked with trustees and public officials across the country to ensure that all Americans receive a high-quality education at an affordable price. Your curricular reform efforts are particularly valuable in Mississippi. According to ACTA’s annual What Will They Learn?® survey of general education programs, no public, four-year institution in Mississippi requires its students to take a class in U.S. history or government as a condition of graduation.  

ACTA would be glad to assist you in this important work. We have testified before various legislatures and commissions in states including Florida, New Jersey, Alaska, Georgia, Montana, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania on matters such as curricular quality, academic assessment, and institutional accountability.  

If there is anything we can do to help your efforts to support Senate Bill 2065, or in any matter in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.  

We are immensely grateful for your commitment to American higher education, and I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely, 

Armand Alacbay 
Chief of Staff & SVP of Strategy