[ [link removed] ][IMG]

John,

Ten months ago, Color Of Change warned textbook publishers about the
attacks on Black history, but none of them listened. In the months since,
Florida conservatives have doubled down on their efforts to erase Black
history and culture from the classroom. In March, the Florida legislature
introduced legislation that limits how educators may teach about “race,
privilege, oppression and the founding of America.”^1 And in April, the
Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) rejected almost half of the math
textbooks for the upcoming school year, including one statistics title
that discussed “racial profiling in policing” and “discrimination in
magnet school admission.”^2 

Right-wing conservatives are distorting and white-washing our history. Yet
McGraw Hill, Cengage, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have refused to
publicly commit to teaching accurate Black history in their textbooks, no
matter what. Instead, these textbook publishers have sat idle as our
children are robbed of the truth about what Black people have experienced
in this country. [ [link removed] ]John, if the world’s largest textbook
publishers don’t take action, who will? 

With the start of classes right around the corner, Color Of Change is
fighting to ensure that our children have access to a high-quality
education—one that prioritizes truth over comfort. But we’re going to need
your support to keep right-wing conservatives out of our education system
and hold textbook publishers accountable to students everywhere.

[ [link removed] ] DEMAND THAT TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS #DEFENDBLACKHISTORY FROM RIGHT-WING
ATTACKS!

Accurate representation matters. When Black children see themselves
reflected in the classroom lessons and textbooks, learning becomes more
meaningful and their potential for academic success soars.^3 But when
right-wing conservatives become involved in K-12 education, all children
suffer. Black children remain marginalized in the classroom, subject to
lessons that invalidate their lived experiences. All children are robbed
of the truth about what Black communities have endured on this soil, and
how our valuable contributions have impacted this country and the rest of
the world. 

More recently, the Florida DOE banned social studies lessons that place
Black history and Black people “in the center of our national
narratives.”^4 Now, John, you and I both know that Black
history is U.S. history. But unless textbook publishers take action,
right-wing conservative extremists will continue to erase Black history
from school curriculums and deny our children the truth about our lived
experiences as well as our brilliant contributions. [ [link removed] ]Join Color Of
Change in demanding that textbook publishers #DefendBlackHistory by: 

* Making a public commitment to reject any proposed changes to their
K-12 textbook content that would erase or marginalize Black history
and culture. 
* Investing in ongoing efforts to #DefendBlackHistory, such as
bookmobiles or advertising campaigns. 
* Where applicable, ceasing all support of the political groups and
candidates behind the efforts to ban Black history from the classroom.

[ [link removed] ]TAKE ACTION

Until justice is real,

Jade Magnus Ogunnaike and the Color Of Change Team

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

References:

 1. John Kennedy, “DeSantis signs into law ‘Stop WOKE Act’ to restrict
race discussions in Florida,” Tallahassee Democrat, April 22, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed] 
 2. Andrew Atterbury, “Mystery solved? Florida reveals why it rejected
math books over critical race theory,” Politico, May 5, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 3. Tarcia Lasha Hubert, “Learners of Mathematics: High School Students’
Perspectives of Culturally Relevant Mathematics Pedagogy,” Journal of
African American Studies, vol 18, 324-336 (2014),
[ [link removed] ][link removed] 
 4. Andrew Atterbury, “Florida wants to avoid critical race theory and
‘social justice’ in social studies texts,” Politico, May 20, 2022,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]



This email was sent to [email protected].

If you're absolutely sure you don't want to hear from Color Of Change again, click here to unsubscribe:
[link removed]