Looking deeper into the current debate around the so called “Divisive Concepts” bill (HB-2/ HB-544) and its origins in former presidential Executive Order 13950 we find dubious lineage revealing outside money sources that oppose honest education around racism, sexism and ableism.

The brainchild of EO13950 is Christopher Rufo, associated with two right fringe think tanks who push pseudoscience against teaching evolution, The Discovery Institute – WA and another The Claremont Institute – CA which promotes the idea that “today’s multiculturalist enforcers seek to erase and replace America”, which is a foundational belief of white supremacists.

Recently professionally printed pro-HB-544 signs appeared on lawns in the Lakes Region funded by FreedomWorks, another out of state far right group with ties to the infamous Koch Brothers (Washington DC). Besides opposing anti-racism education Freedomworks opposes climate change action and the Affordable Care Act.

The key New Hampshire cheerleader for passage of this horrible legislation is the Free State Project (FSP). Freestaters Reps. Jason Osborne and Keith Ammon are co-sponsors of the legislation. Recent FBI arrests of several FSP affiliated people revealed a nefarious national cryptocurrency fraud network which funnels some of its earnings to a video streaming site that pushes anti-diversity education programming.

Discovering who supports diversity education is much easier as it’s not shadowy out of state or quasi-criminal groups. More than 225 NH businesses who collectively employ over 50,000 workers made a strong statement AGAINST this legislation, and believe that “The success of New Hampshire businesses depends on the ability to attract diverse generational, gender and racial employee groups at all levels within our organizations and to do so, we must constantly work to create an environment that makes all our employees feel empowered in their roles.” NH legislators should stand with these business leaders and defeat HB-2 and its poisonous amendment.