ORLANDO--African-American history is not infused well into history lessons in Florida’s public schools, despite a 1994 law that requires it be taught, according to a civil rights group and an Orlando state lawmaker.
The group, the Inter Civic Council of the Southern Christian Leadership Council of Tallahassee, has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice seeking to force Florida to follow the law, said Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando.
In 2009, the Florida Task Force on African American History reached the same conclusion, saying the subject of African-American history wasn’t well integrated into the curriculum.
Panel members said then that black history was often just given “token” treatment during Black History Month, for example. But district and state officials disagreed, saying the topic was taught as it should be.
Florida’s social studies standards — which dictate what should be taught — were revised in 2008 and do include a number of “benchmarks” related to African-Americans.
Thompson said this afternoon she didn’t want an “adversarial” relationship to develop but supported the complaint because efforts so far had not remedied the situation.
The problem is the same as what was noted two years ago, she said, in that that African-American history is too often relegated to the commemoration of certain events, such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
“It’s not part of the curriculum, it’s not part of the lesson plan,” Thompson added. “It’s something set apart.”
The state needs to fund teacher workshops so that educators know how to teach “the broad spectrum of African American contributions to American society,” she said.
Neither the Justice Department, the Florida Department of Education nor the head of the Tallahassee group could be reached immediately.
Thompson said the group’s complaint asks for Florida’s federal education funds to be withheld until it complies with the law.
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Friday, October 7th 2011 at 11:55AM
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