We, the citizens of Texas and the benefactors of the Texas Public School System are demanding that The State of Texas build and require a course in Race and Racism for all graduating high school students.

As a teacher in Texas Public Schools for the last 5 years I have felt and seen an urgent need for a stronger more robust social studies curriculum that does not white wash history or down play systematic racism. We need curriculum that describes overt racism, micro-aggressions, social acceptable forms of racism and describes the corrupt history that built these systems. We need curriculum that defines anti-racism and complacency. We need curriculum that helps our you g people identify and reprogram their biases. We need curriculum that demonstrates the toxicity that racism in any form brings to our state and to our country. 

Texas currently requires 22 credits as a minimum graduation requirement. The aim of these 22 credit areas is to develop students who are college, career or military ready and are set up for success. However, success in these areas is greatly hindered by a lack of course work that address American Racism.

Students who are unable to truly harness the power of diversity and acknowledge systemic downfalls that intentionally suppress the talents, artistry, and opportunities of some Americans but not others based on the color of their skin are less likely to succeed. These students are more likely to create a divide in those Texas communities. additionally, this coursework aligns directly with TEA’s Strategic Plan and would serve as a way to set an example of the transformative power of public education for the rest of the United States.