Make teaching African American and Latin American History the law

 By Reginald James, Former Gadson County School Superintendent

I think we must begin the process of bridging the racial divide and healing our nation. Legislation like what Connecticut has approved will go a long way in making that happen. We can no longer enact legislation that says we WILL teach multi-cultural history because it will not be done. We must seek to enact legislation that says we SHALL teach all students multi- cultural history (African American and Latin American History) by making it a Required Credit  to receive a high school diploma. I feel this would be an excellent piece of legislation for the tumultuous times in which we live. The group that attacked the Capital last week is a group of people we will not be able to change. Therefore, we must focus on the youth and seek to create a greater appreciation for all the races and cultures that make up America. We do this by teaching the youth about the cultures of African Americans and Latin Americans in hopes of fostering a greater respect and appreciation of the races and cultures that make up America. In Florida, Statute 1003.42 provides for the instruction of African American history in our schools. However, very few school districts provide that instruction. The history of Caucasian Americans is still the dominant history taught to all students. The state of Connecticut has recognized this and passed  Public Law 19-12, which mandates that every student graduating from their schools beginning in 2022 be required to have a Credit in multi-cultural instruction( African American /Latin American History) to graduate. They are the first state in our country to make multi-cultural instruction a requirement to graduate. I believe every state in the country should join Connecticut in this effort.