Steve Azar’s “One Mississippi” could soon become required reading in public elementary schools across the state.
Legislation breezed through the House of Representatives in a 112-1 vote on Thursday that would mandate the State Department of Education to acquire and distribute copies of the Mississippi Music and Culture Ambassador’s children’s book to all public school districts and charter schools for second graders.
House Bill 1417, authored by Brookhaven Republican Becky Currie, would require the book to be in the hands of each second-grade pupil beginning in the 2025-26 school year.
The state’s education department is also instructed to provide educators with a blueprint on how to explain the contents and significance of the book. Educators would be required to teach this lesson plan annually during “Read Across America Week” which occurs in the spring and coincides with Dr. Seuss’ March 2 birthday.
The book, written by Azar and illustrated by Oxford native Sarah Frances Hardy, is centered around seven characters who walk readers through the lyrics focused on Mississippi history. “One Mississippi” was named the state’s official song in 2022.
“The Legislature finds that the state song, ‘One 10 Mississippi,’ is an important cultural and historical representation of the State of Mississippi,” a portion of the bill reads. “The dissemination and instruction of the book, One Mississippi, which provides context and history about the state song, will promote an understanding of Mississippi’s heritage among students and support the development of civic pride.”
HB 1417 heads to the State Senate for consideration. If enacted into law, the bill would go into effect on July 1.
