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In Renee O’Connor’s classroom, Black and Brown students have the rare opportunity to ask tough questions. friend, In Renee O’Connor’s classroom, Black and Brown students have the rare opportunity to ask tough questions. As a long-time African American studies teacher and advocate of the SPLC’s Learning for Justice program, O’Connor is on the front lines in Florida’s war on honest history. She teaches an African American Studies elective at a predominantly Black high school in Miami-Dade County, a district with 37 high schools and the third-largest school district in the nation. Yet, her school is one of a small handful that offer an African American studies course at all. The students O’Connor teaches typically enter her classroom with only the most basic Black history knowledge. “They only know about Martin Luther King Jr.,” she said, explaining that the state curriculum’s lack of African American history leaves students in the dark, even at the high school level. A recent explosion of school censorship and anti-student inclusion laws in Florida is threatening to worsen the existing Black history knowledge gap. Last month, Florida’s State Board of Education approved new public school standards that will teach students Black people benefited from slavery. That decision comes on the heels of Florida Governor DeSantis’ rejection of the AP African American History curriculum, which his administration justified by saying the course is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.” O’Connor remembers when The 1619 Project, a New York Times initiative exploring the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans, was banned in Florida. For her, that decision marked the beginning of a new era of teaching. These days, O’Connor says students and teachers have a heightened awareness that political forces threaten to silence factual, honest narratives about slavery and Black Americans’ historic struggles for justice. Earlier this year, Florida educators teaching an early pilot version of the AP African American History course were interrupted mid-lesson and told to immediately cease their instruction. Opaque, black paper covered books deemed “woke” by the state. O’Connor says the threats of censorship and erasure of Black history didn’t discourage her students — rather, they became even more passionate about defending their right to learn. For the first time, students consulted her on how to best stage a protest against increasingly draconian censorship by Florida’s education officials. Unfortunately, the majority of Florida high schools “deprive students of the truth,” says O’Connor. Very few offer African American studies to begin with, and recent attacks on honest history have a chilling effect that discourages schools from starting new programs. O’Connor combats this chill by hosting weekly video calls to share her curriculum with fellow educators looking to pioneer African American history programs, and staying involved with Learning for Justice’s programs for educators teaching hard history and inclusive education. She also acknowledges that the subject matter she teaches, like the Atlantic triangular slave trade, can weigh heavily on her students, most of whom are Black. However, she believes that “in order for change to happen, we have to be uncomfortable.” Learning for Justice offers free lesson plans, films, teaching strategies and more to help educators and parents at every grade level navigate topics that can be uncomfortable for students without erasing the reality of their history. Thank you for supporting the SPLC’s continued work to promote honest history and diversity in Florida schools and beyond. Those seeking to erase Black history show no signs of backing down, and we need your help to stop them. If you’re able, please make a special gift today to help us dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and support teachers like Ms. O’Connor. Sincerely, Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center |
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