Sign Our Petition

Sign Our Tell The Truth Teach The Truth Petition

Please read the petition below and click the button to add your signature at Change.org.
Sign

 

TO: Congressional Black Caucus, Chairwoman Joyce Beatty, Congressional Black Caucus Committee on Education & the Workforce, Representative Bobby Scott, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Cory Booker, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, House Education & Labor Committee, House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, President Joe Biden, Director of Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to President Cedric Richmond, Senior Advisor Symone Sanders, Deputy Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Director Susan Rice, Deputy Director Catherine Lhamon, First Lady Jill Biden, Representative Danny Davis, Representative Frederica Wilson, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, Representative Bobby Rush, Representative Gwen Moore, Representative Alma Adams, Representative Brenda Lawrence, Representative A. Donald McEachin, Representative Joe Neguse, Representative Jahana Hayes

America, it’s time to tell the truth and teach the truth about Black history

American history education, and more specifically Black history education, is failing to meet the societal challenges of the moment. Incomplete state social studies standards and inaccurate history textbooks, along with culturally insensitive teaching methods, have allowed for generational perpetuation of misinformation and racist stereotypes about Black people. This has fueled the ignorance, hatred and racism our nation continues to struggle with today. This educational malpractice has done a major disservice to all students and severe damage to Black students.

America, it’s time to tell the truth and teach the truth. 

Either you believe in accurately educating children or you condone lying to them.

 

We are demanding that:
  • The United States Congress pass national legislation that mandates all PreK-12 schools in all 50 states teach students a year-round 21st-century Black history curriculum
  • The United State Congress condition all state educational funding allocations upon 100% compliance with new federal Black history standard mandates
  • National Black history standards be created that teach all aspects of Black history, including the truth about the enslavement of Black people, white supremacy and systemic racism
  • Black history experts (Black educators, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Black studies programs, Black museums, Black historians) write the national standards
  • Black history experts and qualified Black-owned businesses be contracted to create new 21st-century Black History curriculum and teaching materials, per the national standards
  • All school districts hire Black teachers, Black principals and Black student counselors commensurate with the percentage of PreK-12 Black students in their public school population, at a minimum
  • Black teachers be hired across all subjects and Black History teachers be proficient per the national Black History standards
  • All school districts partner with local Black history experts (Black studies programs, archives, HBCUs, historic sites, landmarks, libraries, museums) to help teach all students
  • Funding these initiatives is prioritized, and budgets are seeded with dollars reallocated away from militarizing and expanding police departments on the federal level
  • All Governors, Chief State School Officers, Mayors and local school board officials re-imagine Black History education in their states, cities and towns and prioritize, support and help fund these efforts with dollars reallocated away from militarizing and expanding police departments on the state and local levels, including school police
  • All Governors and local governments condition all local educational funding allocations on 100% compliance with new federal Black history mandates

 

Why Is This Important?

In most schools Black history is only taught one month a year, during Black History Month. Black history is treated like a separate aspect of American history as opposed to a foundational, integral element. The Black experience in America spans 401 years and is replete with achievement and contribution that has helped shape this country. Black people were America’s first “essential workers.” The origins and economic prosperity of this country were built upon Black labor. Black people have played a central role in every era of American history since its founding. Black people have been and continue to be instrumental in pushing America closer to the fulfillment of its promise of becoming a more perfect union. However, Black History curriculum typically only focuses on slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, topics that receive cursory coverage at best.

Sign Our Tell The Truth Teach The Truth Petition

Please read the petition above and click the button to add your signature at Change.org.
SIGN

SO NOW WHAT????

If you have signed our petition and are asking what else you can do we have a few suggestions. 

First, make sure that you are registered to vote. Make sure that everyone in your family and all of your of friends, Sorors, Brothers, church and choir members are registered to vote. And then make sure that you and everybody you know votes in every local election, and every national primary and election, up and down the ballot. You have the power to elect people on the local, state and national levels, including school board members, who will enact the type of legislation and initiatives that will ensure our children get the Black history education they deserve.

Second, send a letter and / or email to your Mayor, local school board members, Governor, state representative on the Council of Chief State School Officers, and all of the people, organizations and committees we have designated to receive the petition you signed. Reach out to the local and national teachers unions and PTA’s. Google them and get to it. Reach out to them on social media. Then follow up with a phone call or twenty! Demand they support the measures in our petition. Then get everybody you know to do the same. Keep the pressure on!

Third, make sure you download one of our free digital picket signs (see below). You can include the picket sign in your email and social media outreach, print the sign and mail it with your letter, or if you feel like taking it to the streets print the sign or get it printed and get your protest on! Then get everybody you know to do the same.

Fourth, If you want to take your protest a step further you can donate to support our cause and purchase official campaign merchandise from our museum store (see below) and really make a statement. Then get everybody you know to do the same. All proceeds support the Tell The Truth Teach The Truth campaign.

Lastly, sign up for our email list below to keep current on what is happening with the movement and follow the Museum Of UnCut Funk, our strategic partner, on social media to stay connected to our campaign. The social media links are below. Then get everybody you know to do the same.

Time’s up for excuses. 

FIGHT THE POWER and let’s make some S*** happen!


 

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Follow our strategic partner, the Museum Of UnCut Funk, on social media to stay up to date.


 

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TAKE IT TO THE STREETS

Download our digital picket signs.

DEMAND CHANGE WITH YOUR WHOLE CHEST

All proceeds support the Tell The Truth Teach The Truth movement.