Epistemic injustice? Banning 'critical race theory', 'divisive topics', and 'embedded racism' in the classroom.

This article analyzes recent legislative efforts in over half of U.S. states to ban or restrict public school curricula addressing race, gender, sexuality, and related identity topics, arguing that such bans constitute a form of epistemic injustice. Drawing on Miranda Fricker's concepts of testimonial and hermeneutical injustice, the authors focus on a specific type called "wilful hermeneutical ignorance," where dominant social groups use political power to exclude or reject epistemic resources that help marginalized groups articulate their experiences. They introduce the Educational Obligation to Epistemic Resources (EOER) standard, asserting that bans violate this obligation by either omitting pertinent knowledge (Absence of the Pertinent) or including misleading information (Presence of the Obfuscatory), thereby disadvantaging both marginalized students—such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)—and dominant group students by limiting mutual understanding. The article also addresses and refutes claims that inclusive curricula represent "reverse racism," emphasizing that such bans perpetuate social and epistemic inequalities rather than remedy them. Ultimately, the authors conclude that these curricular bans harm all students' capacities as knowers and contribute to ongoing social injustices.