As students in SDUSD schools, we are calling on SDUSD to change its curriculum in order to implement anti-racist education in schools throughout San Diego county. Additionally, we demand that the district fund and standardize district wide ethnic studies courses in order to highlight and celebrate our Black, Indigenous and other students of color’s history at schools across the county. 

While we recognize that SDUSD has passed an ethnic studies requirement, we do not believe that is enough. In order to cultivate anti racist schools, an ethnic studies course must be standardized and fully funded. The district must be responsible for ensuring that students across the county receive the same quality education. Additionally, teachers need to be thoroughly trained in order to effectively teach an ethnic studies course. We demand that SDUSD look to the SDUSD Ethnic Studies Committee when deciding on curriculum, as these educators have been working tirelessly to perfect the curriculum for the course.  While White educators may be allies and even co-conspirators, they will never understand the systemic racism that has left generational trauma for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color), specifically for Black Americans. 

Over the course of our educational career, we have only been taught one history, WHITE HISTORY.  White history has been so deeply embedded into the SDUSD curriculum that many students and educators do not even realize the microaggressions, trauma, and generational shame our BIPOC  students face during class. The shame, trauma, and embarrassment associated with the teaching of slavery, colonization, and blatant racism within America is unimaginable for our students of color. Year after year, Black students are only highlighted when it comes to slavery, perpetuating hurtful stereotypes and mindsets throughout our schools. 

Black students have suffered at the hands of our school’s curriculum for generations. Black history in America does not begin with slavery and end with the Civil Rights Movement, yet this is what our school district would like us to think. Black history in America is rich. It is flourishing. It is prevalent, and yet, it is ignored. SDUSD's Black students deserve to be more than an afterthought in school curriculum. In addition to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., other Black heroes and activists deserve to be taught in schools. We believe that it is not by accident that many great Black leaders have been left out of SDUSD's school curriculum. 

With this in mind, we have provided the district with a list of some historic events, Black activists and topics that are imperative in the teaching of Black history. Please refer to these when thinking of curriculum: 

-People: Huey Newton, Maya Angelou, Angela Davis, Ella Baker, Katherine Johnson, Marsha P. Johnson, Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall 

-The Tulsa Massacre 

-War on Drugs 

-LA Riots 

-Police Brutality 

-Mass Incarceration 

-School to Prison Pipeline 

-The Harlem Renaissance 

-Black contributions to current cultural norms 

-The Mali Empire 

-Films: 13th, 12 Years A Slave, Hidden Figures 

Furthermore, Indigenous people DESERVE to be highlighted as well. Indigenous people have been wiped out of our history books, forcing Indigneous students to feel FORGOTTEN, even though America was built on THEIR land. SDUSD curriculum is limited to the teaching of Indigenous people in the context of colonization, forgetting  Indigenous culture, religions, languages, and complex ways of thinking/design styles. This underrepresentation/misrepresentation continues to perpetuate harmful stereotypes among our youth and communities. Young Indigenous activists, fighting for change right now, such as: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Jasilyn Charger, Charitie Ropati, and Naelyn Pike have NEVER been mentioned in SDUSD’s history curriculum. 

While some aspects of BIPOC’s history are mentioned at school, BIPOC are always portrayed as victims. They are always showcased as less than and oppressed. While this is a crucial aspect of the gruesome, yet very real, American history, and while it is important for White students to recognize the role that White people played in oppressing Black people, it is imperative that Black joy be showcased as well.  Black students deserve to see themselves in elevated positions of leadership, and status. BIPOC’s history deserves to be taught in a way that showcases their talents, strengths, accomplishments and intellect.

Students DESERVE and MUST learn about history beyond the lens of the white man. Students DESERVE to be taught about explorers, inventors, academics, musicians and actors that are BIPOC. We believe that schools have a RESPONSIBILITY to teach their students history beyond the white lens, in order to cultivate a more accepting, open and equitable platform  from which all students will continue to branch off of post high school. 

As youth and members of SDUSD schools, we DEMAND the following: 

1. SDUSD  must fully fund an ethnic studies course, including full and thorough training for all educators that will be teaching the course. Training and curriculum must be overseen by teachers of color in order to create a realistic and unfiltered account of the oppression and abuse BIPOC have faced in America. SDUSD must look to the SDUSD Ethnic Studies Committee for further guidance, and must allow them to take the lead on writing, creating and training teachers for the new curriculum. 

2. The ethnic studies course needs to be standardized and thorough in order to ensure students at various campuses receive the same education. 

3. The ethnic studies course must not simply focus on the oppression that BIPOC have faced, and continue to face throughout the years. Instead, it must celebrate and highlight achievements and accomplishments made by BIPOC. Additionally it must address BIPOC as members of a global society and not based on their “usefulness” to American culture. It must also highlight a wide range of cultures and ethnicities. 

4. SDUSD schools must actively work to create anti racist school environments. This goes beyond policing the use of racist phrases and slurs. Creating anti racist schools means white supremacy must be dismantled in all aspects of education and students must learn about and deeply understand other cultures in order to develop an understanding of true equality. 

5. SDUSD needs to diversify hiring practices to ensure students of color can learn from educators of color. Furthermore, courses like History and English need to be taught by educators of color. Black students are tired of always hearing their history from White teachers. Students deserve to see educators that look like them. Now, more than ever, representation is IMPERATIVE. 

6. SDUSD needs to promote the dual enrollment history courses available through Mesa/Miramar/City Community Colleges. These courses need to be shown as an option when students choose their history classes and should be more accessible to all students. 

With these demands in mind, we believe the time is NOW. Although SDUSD has overlooked this issue for far too long, we will NOT remain silent. Change is necessary. BIPOC have waited FAR too long for their story to be taught. They have waited FAR too long to see their history in classrooms and school libraries. As youth, as students, and as one of the major stakeholders in schools, we have a DUTY to hold our schools accountable. We have a DUTY to stand up for what is right. BIPOC’s history deserves to be taught in every aspect of public education.

Please sign this petition and support our movement. SDUSD MUST change its curriculum in order to showcase Black, Indigenous and other people of color’s history and to create ANTI RACIST schools. 

As Dr. King said, "The time is always right to do what's right."