California Becomes First State in America to Approve Statewide High School Ethnic Studies Curriculum
Share
Explore Our Galleries
Breaking News!
Today's news and culture by Black and other reporters in the Black and mainstream media.
Ways to Support ABHM?
By Zack Linley, The Root
While Republican-run states like Florida are proposing statewide educational curricula that will “expressly exclude” critical race theory—because a lot of white people in power are fragile AF and that fragility will undoubtedly extend to the classrooms in their states—California has adopted the nation’s first statewide ethnic studies high school curriculum, and one that doesn’t shy away from discussing things like police brutality and systemic racism in America.
The Associated Press reports that on Thursday, members of the California State Board of Education unanimously approved the curriculum with hopes that it would clear a path for states across the country to follow. But the effort to give high school students access to an education that doesn’t center whiteness above all didn’t come without plenty of hurdles….
…The curriculum also includes lesson plans that revolve around Jewish people, Arab Americans, Sikh Americans and Armenian Americans all of whom “have important stories to tell about oppression and contributions,” as California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said, AP reports.
Right now, America is in the midst of a racial awakening that started with nationwide anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests last year. But if this week’s shooting in Georgia in which eight people were killed—including six Asian women—has taught us anything, it’s that we still have a long way to go. (Especially considering the way a certain Cherokee County sheriff captain with a racially insensitive social media history handled his report of a white killer who he said simply “had a bad day.”)…
Read the full article here.
Learn about the history of education about racial injustice and access to education for black children under Jim Crow.
More Breaking News here.
Comments Are Welcome
Note: We moderate submissions in order to create a space for meaningful dialogue, a space where museum visitors – adults and youth –– can exchange informed, thoughtful, and relevant comments that add value to our exhibits.
Racial slurs, personal attacks, obscenity, profanity, and SHOUTING do not meet the above standard. Such comments are posted in the exhibit Hateful Speech. Commercial promotions, impersonations, and incoherent comments likewise fail to meet our goals, so will not be posted. Submissions longer than 120 words will be shortened.
See our full Comments Policy here.