Racism is still a pervasive problem throughout the world. People of color (POC) are faced with biases, pay gaps, police brutality, and other forms of mistreatment that hinder their livelihood. This is especially true for the black community, as shown through the recent events on the news (i.e. the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others). 

The first step to progress is EDUCATION. We must educate society on the 300 years of systematic oppression that black people continue to encounter. And this starts with the education of our children. 

United States history textbooks used by students nation-wide go into depth about slavery, the Civil War and its aftermath, and the Civil Rights Movement. HOWEVER, these textbooks paint the false picture that racism no longer exists in today's world. They include NO to extremely limited information on the inherent racism in our country. As a result, students are being taught in school that rights for POC have been fully achieved, and that it is no longer an issue with which they should be consciously concerned. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Students must be taught from a young age in their history classes that POC continue to encounter limitations and racism every day. For examples of the inaccurate information being taught to students, click on link below: http://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/se/6003/600310.html

The students of today are the people who determine the future of America. We must no longer keep them in the dark about these pressing issues. We must teach them that their history chapters dealing with black rights and racism do NOT have a "happily ever after." The Civil Rights Act might have outlawed discrimination against POC in 1964, but that does NOT mean discrimination is no longer a issue; it does NOT mean that discrimination it is not inherently and deeply engraved in our country.

Sign this petition to urge major textbook publishing companies - including McGraw Hill, Pearson, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt -  to reform their history textbooks to include lessons on persisting racial injustice in today's world, as well as ways to solve this long overdue issue.