JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It was the guidance that set off a firestorm of criticism from around the nation directed at the Florida Department of Education.
Over the summer the DOE released guidance that called for social studies instruction in the state to include, among other things, potential benefits to slavery because of the skills that slaves would have developed.
Duval County Public Schools just approved new social studies textbooks for the first time since that guidance was sent out. First Coast News combed through many of the online versions of social studies textbooks that the School Board approved and at least from the middle school and high school versions no references to "the benefits of slavery" were found.
"The misnomers, the absences of information, these are the kinds of things that lead to the biggest challenges we have today," said ReGina Newkirk Rucci, the Director of Equity for 904ward, a group dedicated to ending racism in Jacksonville.
"We want our students to have a full understanding of how we've arrived in this moment because unless they have it they won't be properly equipped to change and move us forward," said Newkirk Rucci.
Links to the online versions of the social studies textbooks that will be used by the district are available on the district's website and can be found here.
Some of the topics included in a social studies textbook approved for high school students cover divisive issues during Reconstruction like the KKK as well as how Jim Crow laws influenced life for African Americans.
"We want to make sure this is not the beautified dolled up version that makes people feel better, but it is the truth telling accurate version that makes us better because we'll be required to do better," said Newkirk Rucci.
A textbook approved for middle schoolers directly details the affects that the debate on slavery had on the addition of states to the Union in the 1850s as well as how the Dred Scott case was considered "the greatest crime ever committed" in the nation's courts.
"If we don't understand the impact of slavery, the Jim Crow South and redlining districts and segregation," Newkirk Rucci said, "it's virtually impossible to understand how we can address racial disparities that are present today."
In its efforts to provide inclusive reading material, 904ward created free little diverse libraries throughout the city of Jacksonville where people can borrow books, some of which have been banned.
An excerpt from the Duval School Board agenda reads:
The last textbook purchase for Middle School Civics school was in 2012. Examples of outdated information can be highlighted in the MJ Civics textbook, where the most recent election discussed is the Barack Obama 2008 election, which occurred over a decade ago. In recent years, there has been a growing need for significant advancements in Civics education. With the current state of our political climate, it has become more critical than ever to ensure that citizens have a solid understanding of how government works, their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and how they can actively participate in their communities. By prioritizing civic education and providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to be informed and engaged citizens, we can help build a stronger and more democratic society for future generations.....Outdated textbooks can create gaps in students' understanding and hinder their learning experience, so it is vital to prioritize adopting more relevant and up-to-date social studies materials. By doing so, we can ensure that students are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in the rapidly changing world around them.