*Despite state and national calls for them to reconsider their proposals, ultra-conservative members on the State of Texas Board of Education last week approved (9-to-5) controversial changes to the social studies curriculum taught in the state’s schools.
Critics have labeled many of the changes “historically inaccurate” and even racist because they diminish both the importance of the Civil Rights Movement and the role of slavery in American history.
Among the most controversial changes are provisions which would largely eliminate the Civil Rights Movement from history textbooks.
Another provision would drop references to the slave trade and rename it the “Atlantic triangular trade.”
Further, the leader of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis would be treated equally with President Abraham Lincoln.
Also, the Civil War would no longer be treated as a war over the enslavement of Blacks but would be referred to as a battle over states’ rights. (Taylor Media Services – www.blacknewsjournal.net).
It is amazing how easily history can be changed. Everything now-a-days has to have a “spin” on it. It doesn’t matter whether it is conservative or liberal, it has a “spin”.
I just cannot imagine what this will mean to future generations. it is bad enough that there was not a lot of focus on civil rights legislation when I was in school in the 60s and 70s, now, an entire generation risk being uneducated on a most important and pivotal era in history. Will we be wise enough to begin teaching our kids the things they are not being taught in this faux textbooks? This means that parents must, more than ever, become more engrossed in their children’s education. I didn’t really know about the holocaust until high school…..and it was not a topic that was discussed to any great length. And I came up during the civil rights movement, this is not good news in any way.
For the real facts about the Texas Social Studies standards, go to http://www.juststatethefacts.com.