Black History IS American History
Bills being debated and passed in the Florida Legislature regarding our American history, who we are, and how we discuss these topics are antithetical to the League. I believe all League members are people who continue to grow and learn, and I hope that is what all of us are doing during Black History Month, no matter the color of our skin.
Starting with the first essay in The 1619 Project, I found myself forced to look at American history differently. It reminded me that our vast history is condensed down to a few politically correct paragraphs that K-12 textbook authors and publishers hope will pass the scrutiny of Education Commissions and be adopted in states with large populations. It shouldn’t be any surprise that Black history is largely overlooked. However, there is Florida Statute 1003.42 (2), which states:
Members of the instructional staff of the public schools . . . shall teach . . . the following: (h): The history of African Americans, including the history of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of African Americans to society. Instructional materials shall include the contributions of African Americans to American society.
This law was passed in 1994 – 28 years ago! Florida even has a Commissioner of Education’s African American History Task Force, which has developed criteria for school districts to become “Exemplary School Districts” relative to African American history. There are only 10 school districts in this category, and I am happy to report that Broward County is one of them! Most are large school districts, except for Gadsden County, which is the only county in Florida with a majority African-American population.
These are the 6 criteria to become an “exemplary” school district: 1) School Board Approval of the African American History Initiative, 2) Structured Professional Development, 3) African American Studies Curriculum, 4) Structured Teaching of the African American History Curriculum, 5) University–School District Collaboration, and 6) Parent/Community Partnerships. Shouldn’t one of the bills in the legislature be ALL Florida school districts will meet the criteria for “exemplary” and, furthermore, school districts be provided the funding to meet these criteria?
Let’s be clear that Florida Statute 1003.42 is largely an unfunded mandate. The same way other laws passed or being considered require specific Black history events be taught in our schools. HB 1213, passed in 2020, requires instruction on the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Riots (Massacre). SB 1500 is being considered this year and would “require[e] high school students enrolled in a United States History course to receive specified instruction on the significance of Emancipation Day and Juneteenth Day.”
Sadly, this ignorance of our past is not conducive to a multicultural pluralistic society. We need to learn Black history because it is our American history. Please watch past presentations on Black History sponsored by LWV Broward: