Churches and nonprofits in the state are filling the gaps in Black history education parents say schools leave incomplete.
Florida has required public schools to teach African American history for 30 years. Yet, according to the Associated Press, many students receive lessons that are incomplete or inadequate. In response to growing distrust in the state’s education system, community organizations, churches and cultural institutions are stepping in to fill the gaps.
In Delray Beach, Charlene Farrington leads Saturday morning classes at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum to teach teenagers the history that schools often omit. Her lessons cover South Florida’s Caribbean roots, the state’s grim history of lynchings, the lasting effects of segregation and the grassroots activism that fueled the Civil Rights Movement.“You need to know how it happened before so you can decide how you want it to happen again,” Farrington told her students, according to the AP.
Efforts like Farrington’s have gained urgency as Florida’s approach to African American history faces increased scrutiny and political challenges. Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has spearheaded efforts to limit discussions of race, history and discrimination in classrooms. His administration has banned certain Advanced Placement African American Studies courses, citing alleged legal violations and historical inaccuracies…