New York City Department of Education Chancellor Meisha Ross-Porter announced the creation of a new black studies curriculum that will seek to better acclimate students to the “role of race in power relationships and the impact of systemic and institutional racism.”
School officials said a pilot of the new offerings would be rolled out in city schools as early as next Spring.
Porter said the new curriculum will focus on helping city kids combat the racism in their midst while also aiming to put a greater focus on early African history and civilizations, including Ethiopia and Timbuktu.
“If we’re serious about addressing racial justice, we have to look at what our students learn every day,” Porter said. “And not just black children, but all children.”
“Our children have to see and experience themselves every single day in the curriculum,” she added. “They have to see their value and worth because they have seen so many other messages that say different.”
