Sign this petition to show you want to see a curriculum expansion on Black History, with an add on of LGBTQ+ History. I believe that this should ALWAYS be a topic of discussion within our schools, not just because of what is happening in our country right now.

With today being Juneteenth, it has sparked my interest in making this happen in our town. I did not know quite what this day meant until just recently. This is a holiday that should be celebrated and talked about. For those who do not know, Juneteenth is, by definition, "a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. And a day when enslaved texans finally learned they were free, 2.5 YEARS after the Emancipation Proclamation". I believe an education system has the power to inform and hopefully change the minds of the people around them. To educate them to be the best that they can be.

Another topic I would like to see be taught in our schools is LGBTQ+ History. Black Queer and Trans men and women fought for Queer rights to be heard and accepted by all. As a gay man I know how much it would've meant to me if I had learned this in school. I know I am a privileged white male, but I would not be able to marry freely if it wasn't for the Black Queer and Trans community.

The reason this is all not taught is definitely not anything to do with how FHS feels on the topic, but it does come from either a lack of knowledge, the text books not displaying it, or teachers knowing about it and not teaching it to make room for other topics. 

My time at FHS was wonderful, but I know that if there were topics in History class that directly affected me, and others around me, it would've meant a lot. This is all apart of our history, and I had to teach myself these things on my own. And yes, I learned a lot doing my research...but why couldn't I have also learned it in school? And even in our relatively liberal town, I know plenty of students in my grade who could have benefited a lot from learning about these sorts of things.

I hope that if you took the time to read this you will find it in you to sign this petition. We ALL have to make change in this world. Please do your part in helping to educate our peers.