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Colorado lawmakers are seeking to ensure that Black history is taught in the state’s public schools at a time of escalating efforts by the Trump administration to squash diversity and inclusion in America’s classrooms.
A bill under consideration in the Colorado legislature would require the State Board of Education to adopt academic standards related to Black historical and cultural studies. Academic standards play a key role in what Colorado students learn in school.
The measure, House Bill 1149, passed the House Education Committee last week in an 8-5 vote along party lines, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans voting no. The bill now moves to the House Appropriations Committee.
Bill sponsor Rep. Regina English, a Colorado Springs Democrat, said it is not only an educational need but a moral imperative to teach Black history.