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South Side Group Still Waiting for Meeting Over Black History Curriculum

By Wendell Hutson | February 20, 2013 8:36am
 Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett (left).
Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett (left).
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

CHICAGO — We Can Inc. is still waiting to hear when it can meet with the head of Chicago Public Schools to discuss its complaints about how Black History is taught in city schools.

We Can President Florence Cox said a CPS representative had told the community group a meeting date could be set by Tuesday.

"I am not aware of any dates as to when we could meet with Barbara Byrd-Bennett," Cox said. "We are tired of meeting with representatives from CPS. We need to meet with decision makers."

And while CPS spokeswoman Marielle Sainvilus confirmed no meeting has been set, she said the nation's third largest school district is working to have a curriculum in place by June that would address the group's concerns about a lack of Black History classes being taught at its schools.

 State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) attended a Feb. 16, 2013 meeting with the community group We Can Inc., and urged them to file a lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools to force the nation's third largest school district to comply with a 22-year old state law she sponsored mandating that Black History be included in curriculum at all public schools.
State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) attended a Feb. 16, 2013 meeting with the community group We Can Inc., and urged them to file a lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools to force the nation's third largest school district to comply with a 22-year old state law she sponsored mandating that Black History be included in curriculum at all public schools.
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DNAinfo/Wendell Hutson

"African-American history is a vital component of the culture and fabric of both our country and our city. Integrating these very important teachings into our classrooms is a priority for CEO Byrd-Bennett," Sainvilus said.

"CPS is developing guidelines and resources that will be comprehensive and align with identified themes within the new social science framework. These resources will be in place prior to the next academic school year and allow teachers to incorporate black history as an integral part of the social science curriculum."

A proposed curriculum was presented to the group previously, but at a Feb. 16 meeting Cox said the "rough" draft was insufficient.

"The proposed curriculum CPS has presented is unacceptable," said Cox, the first black president of the Chicago Board of Education. "It lacks our history and language arts. There is nothing in here about who [African Americans] are and where we came from."

State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) is urging the group to file a lawsuit against CPS to force the school system to comply with a 22-year-old state law she sponsored that mandates all public elementary and high schools include Black History as a part of their regular curriculum.

"I encourage [the group] to file a lawsuit against CPS to make them comply with the state law," Flowers said. "Our kids are way behind in elementary school, high school and college when you compare them to students in other countries like China."

"A lawsuit is still on the table and something we are still considering," she said. "CPS has had 22 years to comply with this state law. I hope it does not take another 22 years."

Last month, students at Jones College Preparatory High School were informed by the principal that African-American Literature would no longer be offered as a core English class starting next school year but as an elective instead.

But after students started an online petition that secured nearly 1,000 signatures, CPS reversed its decision and will allow the class to continue being offered as an English course.