Republican state lawmakers want to punish schools that teach the 1619 Project Barbara Rodriguez, The 19th Replay Video UP NEXT This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Lawmakers in several statehouses this year want to stop lesson plans that focus on the centrality of slavery to American history as presented in The New York Times’ 1619 Project, previewing new battles in states over control of civics education. Republican lawmakers in Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri and South Dakota filed bills last month that, if enacted, would cut funding to K-12 schools and colleges that provide lessons derived from the award-winning project. The South Dakota bill has since been withdrawn.