• Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Of The Essence
    • Celebrity News
    • If Not For My Girls
    • The State Of R&B
    • Time Of Essence
  • Fashion
    • 2023 Best In Black Fashion Awards
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • Red Carpet
    • Fashion News
    • Accessories
  • Beauty
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • 2023 Best In Black Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Hair
      • Hair News
      • Natural
      • Relaxed
      • Transitioning
      • Weave
      • 4C
  • Lifestyle
    • Love
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Bridal Bliss
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
  • Entrepreneurship
    • Money & Career
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
    • 2023 Fashion House
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · News

NAACP Outraged on Texas Schools Rewriting History

NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige are outraged. On Friday, the Texas Board of Education will decide whether to rewrite the state's social studies curriculum, which puts a conservative slant on American events. The new standards, if passed, will guide how history and social studies are taught to more than 4.8 million public school students over the next 10 years. "They are trying to change the 'Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade' and call it 'Triangular Trade...'" Here's what you had to say: Beautiful Curare commented: "Unless parents and the community take responsibility, our children will be completely without knowledge." De. wrote: "African-Americans are bigger than having a history about slavery. In fact, they should trace black history before the slave trade, that would be revolutionary."
NAACP Outraged on Texas Schools Rewriting History
By Jenisha Watts · Updated October 29, 2020
textbooks-475x350.jpg
NAACP President Benjamin Jealous and former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige are outraged. On Friday, the Texas Board of Education will decide whether to rewrite the state’s social studies curriculum, which puts a conservative slant on American events. The new standards, if passed, will guide how history and social studies are taught to more than 4.8 million public school students over the next 10 years. Jealous and Paige are now fearing Black students will not get a full understanding of African-American history. On Tuesday, members of the NAACP, along with hundreds of community leaders, teachers and organizations rallied outside the Travis County Building in Austin, Texas, voicing their disapproval over the purposed amendments. Jealous and Paige gave testimonies in front of the school board demanding a longer deadline for Friday’s final hearing and asked for the committee to revisit the planned rewrites. ESSENCE.com spoke with the passionate activists on why they are pressuring the school board, what this new curriculum means to Black children, and what African-American parents should do now to make sure their children are getting the right education. On pressuring the school board “We pressed for the school board to slow down the process,” said Jealous. “We’re both very concerned that they are about to make decisions to take the children of our country backward not forward.”  On why Texas should never touch history “History is what it is and it should not be re-written or changed based on either political ideology or the present demographic of our student body or our state,” says Paige. “We just want the authentic history covered, and in doing so this will give slavery and the civil rights movement a much more prominent display in the standards that are present now.” If Texas rewrites the history in textbooks, what could happen to Black kids? “They will talk about the civil rights movement but not about the struggle. It minimizes the role of the civil rights movement,” explains Jealous. “The civil rights movement moved our country and you got to talk about the facts.They will be learning something other than the truth. They will not be able to compete on SAT exams.” A few key historical points Texas school board is trying to change “They are trying to change the ‘Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade’ and call it ‘Triangular Trade.’ The textbooks will describe the U.S. government as a constitutional republic, rather than democratic,” says Jealous. “It is possible not certain, but they are trying to mention President Obama as the first Black elected instead of saying Preisdent Barack Obama.” Black America’s responsibility “We have a responsibility to elevate the interest in education in the lives of our African-American kids,” says Paige. “We are entitled to our own opinion but we are not entitled to our own facts,” says Jealous. “We have to make sure our kids are taught what actually happened not what the school board wishes.”
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now