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Black History is Poised to be a Must-Learn Subject in Our Public Schools

HOUSE BILL NO. 198, sponsored by Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker, has been introduced to the Delaware General Assembly with the focus of amending title 14 of the Delaware code relating to Black History Education.

The legislation summary explains, “This Act requires each school district and charter school to establish and implement a curriculum on Black History for students in grades K through 12. This Act incorporates contemporary events into discussions of Black History and the tools of experience.”

This is positive, healing and fair. If enacted, our students will learn a context that is painful and difficult but will also bring forward the important contributions that have been core to the development of our society.

This long-overdue step towards honest justice will help students understand and appreciate the high cost of slavery, racism, abuse, oppression and inequity of cultures.

At DelawareCAN, we feel strongly about this legislation. We also are grateful and proud of our DelawareCAN Youth Advocacy Council students who have been a key part of this movement to learn from the Black history that has, until now, been mostly non-existent in public education curriculums. We cherish our students’ bravery and determination to put their voices to work and into action by engaging legislators and inquiring at their schools about this necessary change.

Students have barely begun learning about the admirable Black figures that have transformed the world with their contributions as intellectuals, activists, artists, educators and inventors. Many have been a key part in transforming our world for good, but have been lost to history. That can change with this bill.

There is more to our world and national history than is currently taught in Delaware schools. With HB 198, our Delaware students will have an opportunity to complete the story.

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