According to a new Bill signed by California lawmakers and passed last week, students will soon be taking courses that teach the significance of what President Barack Obama’s election meant for racial equality and civil rights.
Barack Obama’s election marked a “historic step in the effort towards equality in the United States,” said the California lawmakers who passed a bill to encourage schools to teach students about the racial significance of his presidency, the Associated Press reports.
The California Assembly, with unanimous bipartisan support, passed the measure Thursday. It now heads to the state Senate, the report says.
Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena sponsored the bill, and asks state education officials to include President Obama’s election in history and social studies standards by mapping out a blueprint of what students are expected to learn, the news site says.
Lessons about President Obama should highlight what his election meant for racial equality and civil rights, Holden said on the Assembly floor, the AP reports. Holden said that Obama’s historic first-term election in 2008 “should not just be a mere footnote within textbooks, but rather focus on the significance of Americans overcoming our nation’s past and acknowledging that Americans are moving in the right direction.”
The state Board of Education is scheduled to update academic standards during the 2015-16 school year and is not required to follow the Assembly’s recommendations, the report says. If passed, textbooks would likely be updated after Obama leaves office.
Like BlackAmericaWeb.com on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
REGISTER NOW for the 2014 Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion taking place August 28- September 1, 2014 in Orlando, Florida! For booking information visit here.
(Photo Source: PR Photos)
