Support for African American History in K-12 Curriculum-Reaffirming “Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, Justice Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Carter G. Woodson-NAACP Education” Affirmed 2010

WHEREAS, throughout its history the NAACP has been a champion of comprehensive and quality education; and

WHEREAS, building an educated society requires eradicating a whitewashed and non-inclusive version of American history; and

WHEREAS, current standards for teaching history come from a Eurocentric perspective; and

WHEREAS, not learning about the comprehensive history of people of color in America contributes to lower history test scores and achievement gaps for African American, Latino, and Native American students; and

WHEREAS, African Americans have suffered injury from the destruction of the link between their history and themselves; and

WHEREAS, the current study of African American history in K-12 across the United States lacks concepts and the analysis critical to a basic understanding of the history of Africans and people of African descent in the U.S.; and

WHEREAS, through resolutions adopted in 1977, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2007, and 2012 the NAACP has demonstrated its unwavering support for the inclusion of African American history and diverse curriculums; and

WHEREAS, such diversity in teaching history must be comprised of a history of African people on the continent of Africa, colonization of Africa, the trans-Atlantic slave trade (Middle Passage), the institution of slavery in America, abolition, Reconstruction, post-Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, the Modern Civil Rights Movement, the legal, political and social challenges to discrimination, as well as the overall contributions of African Americans to society; and 

WHEREAS, that the history of African Americans should be a part of the curriculum at all grade levels in our schools, and this curriculum should be reviewed and approved by recognized scholars of African American history; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms the 2012 resolution stating that, "where states do not have laws to ensure the teaching of valid, historically accurate curriculum that includes African American history among other historical perspectives and accounts, the NAACP will advocate for the creation of such laws with strong comprehensive implementation guaranteeing states and districts' compliance."

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NAACP shall pursue adoption of a diverse curriculum in local school districts by engaging school committees, city councils and Mayors.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP support state and federal legislation requiring and/or incentivizing all public schools in the United States to develop curriculums that are more inclusive of African and African American history.