By Sikivu Hutchinson, from L.A. Times
Bucking the reactionary furor over social justice education, all California students will finally have the opportunity to learn American history beyond the standard narratives of heroic straight white males (and a handful of exceptional people of color). Per the state guidelines, core ethnic studies themes focus on identity, history, systems of power, social movements and equity. But the long-term effects on student learning will ultimately hinge on execution — particularly for marginalized Black LGBTQ youth.
Past education mandates illustrate this problem. Despite the passage of the California Fair Education Act in 2011 mandating the inclusion of LGBTQ contributions to American history in K-12 education — also the first of its kind in the nation — LGBTQ-inclusive social history is still minimal in many California schools. Only 31% of California students reported being taught this material in 2019…Full article https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-11-17/california-ethnic-studies-lgbtq-curriculum
