# All Americans need education in Black studies

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 27, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888 "2023-01-27T13:53:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 126

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-americans-need-education-in-black-studies/978888/126 "2023-01-27T19:00:12Z")

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I just can’t forget what a revelation it was in 5th grade when the _Scholastic Weekly Reader_ did a special issue on Black studies. It opened my eyes to vast areas of heretofore hidden knowledge. “There were great kingdoms and civilizations in Black Africa? There were Black cowboys in the Wild West? Why have these never been mentioned before?”

Gift article by Karen Attiah:

> **[Opinion | Florida is offering an advanced lesson in anti-Blackness](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/01/24/ap-african-american-studies-florida-desantis/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWJpZCI6IjI3ODMzMDQ0IiwicmVhc29uIjoiZ2lmdCIsIm5iZiI6MTY3NDc5NTYwMCwiaXNzIjoic3Vic2NyaXB0aW9ucyIsImV4cCI6MTY3NjA5MTU5OSwiaWF0IjoxNjc0Nzk1NjAwLCJqdGkiOiJjODk3N2JmNi1hNjVmLTRlNWMtYTM1ZC02NDdjYWFkN2Y4MGEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vb3BpbmlvbnMvMjAyMy8wMS8yNC9hcC1hZnJpY2FuLWFtZXJpY2FuLXN0dWRpZXMtZmxvcmlkYS1kZXNhbnRpcy8ifQ.C-UqM-B1ocvpxGHI7q-NwfGptMthCc2dlYD4-jAhE0U&itid=gfta)**
>
> Florida’s rejection of AP African American studies shows what the fight against critical race theory was all about: making institutional anti-Blackness lawful again.

> There’s that saying that goes, “White privilege is when your history is the core curriculum, and mine is an elective.” Well, to Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Black history isn’t even worthy of that bare minimum.

I won’t be satisfied until Black studies is securely established among the core curriculum.

Attiah again:

> **I will never forget how humiliating it was to ask my teacher why we weren’t learning about Africa and Black people when so many other groups’ histories were considered essential.**

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