OLYMPIA, Wash. — Lawmakers in Olympia will discuss a proposed bill Monday that would pave the way for African-American studies to become standard in Washington middle and high schools.
House Bill 2282 would officially convene a workgroup to develop curricula for African American studies for students in grades 7-12. The bill would charge the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to present a list of curricula by Dec. 1.
A hearing was held for the bill Monday afternoon, on Martin Luther King, Junior Day, in Olympia. The bill said African American studies is defined as an "interdisciplinary approach, with the rigors of scholarly inquiry, to analyze the history, culture, and contributions of the people of African descent in the United States and throughout the African diaspora."
The OSPI received funding in 2021 to develop recommendations for integrating African American history as well as examination of racism and the history of the civil rights movement into the state curriculum.
According to the original bill, the goal of the legislature if passed "that public schools in Washington will select a curriculum from the list and use it to offer African American studies to students in grades seven through 12."
As part of the bill, professional development opportunities for educators would be identified to ensure the teachers tasked with this new curriculum will be prepared.
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