Commission: Black history is incomplete in state curriculum

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A commission in Virginia has found that history learning standards in the state's schools “continue to be incomplete with regards to incorporating African American history into the larger narrative.”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Monday that the conclusion was made in the final report by the Virginia African American History Education Commission.

The commission said that the state should make immediate technical changes to learning standards related to African American history. It also said that Virginia should explore broader changes during a formal standards review at a later time.

“Even though Virginia led the nation in developing high quality content standards more than 25 years ago, the standards were tainted with a master narrative that marginalized or erased the presence of non-Europeans from the American landscape,” the report said.

Gov. Ralph Northam created the commission in August 2019 and tasked it with examining Virginia’s history standards. It is made up of teachers, principals, superintendents, policy experts, history professors, parents and community leaders.

The commission opposes African American history being taught separately. And it proposes standards that will include key themes to ensure that an African American perspective is presented. Those themes would include colonialism and systemic racism.