In a move that intensifies the national debate over how race and gender are taught in American schools, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday aimed at championing so-called “patriotic education.”

Under the auspices of combatting “radical indoctrination” in primary and secondary schools, the order aims to restrict curricular content on the role of racism in US history and current affairs. It also aims to stifle discussion of non-binary gender identity. Both of these issues have proven to be flashpoints between progressive and conservative voters in the US, and as such, featured prominently during the 2024 election cycle.

Classroom discussions of race have proven particularly divisive since 2020, when Minnesota police killed George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, igniting outrage across the country and sparking a national conversation about systemic racial inequities in the US. The consequences of this movement could be felt in the establishment of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and curriculum revisions across the public and private sectors, higher education, and K-12 education.

Critics of the post-Floyd civil rights movement express fear that DEI initiatives and educational curricula emphasizing systemic racism threaten to reverse progress on race relations. As articulated in Trump’s order:

In recent years … parents have witnessed schools indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies … Such an environment operates as an echo chamber, in which students are forced to accept these ideologies without question or critical examination. In many cases, innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics. … These practices not only erode critical thinking but also sow division, confusion, and distrust…

The action requires federal agencies to review and potentially rescind funding from schools that teach concepts suggesting individuals are “inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive” based on their race or that America is “fundamentally racist.”

The order also takes aim at gender identity, stating: “In [some] instances, young men and women are made to question whether they were born in the wrong body and whether to view their parents and their reality as enemies to be blamed.” The issues of gender-affirming care and treatment options for transgender youth featured prominently in the 2024 election season, with Trump-aligned Republicans largely disavowing the necessity of such care. The order calls for a review of policies related to student gender transitions and facility use, adding another dimension to an already contentious national debate about the rights of transgender youths.

The new measures will take effect in 90 days, pending the development of an “Ending Indoctrination Strategy” by multiple federal agencies.