JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Students have a unique opportunity to take a deeper dive into African American History — not just this month, but any month throughout the school year.
Action News Jax Courtney Cole shows us how two Duval County Public Schools are trailblazing and the very special tool they’re using to teach Black History in-depth.
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Getting kids interested in history isn’t always the easiest thing to do.
“I actually love Miss Jones!” Destyni Zuema exclaimed.
“I’m just proud of how good she teaches us,” Jasmine Stephens told Cole.
But Ms. Tamara Jones told me she’s been up for the task of teaching the new African American Studies course, at Lakeshore Middle School since day one.
Ms. Jones’ students told Action News Jax Courtney Cole that there wasn’t anybody better that could have been selected for the job.
“Wow, wow. That’s a lot of pressure. But I was like listen, give it to me! It’s time to go, let’s go! Let’s get it in! Let’s give these kids something to hold onto that they will probably never have the opportunity to have, until they reach college,” Ms. Jones passionately explained.
Lakeshore and Springfield Middle Schools are the only two middle schools in the state that we’ve learned of, offering students the opportunity to take a high school level, African American History elective course, that counts toward their high school diploma.
“A lot of schools don’t want to go in-depth about the history that happened behind it and they don’t want to talk about it. But this class goes in-depth and explains everything about it and all the different history,” said Korey Ferrell.
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Her students told Action News Jax they come in each day, eager to learn something new.
Courtney Cole asked some of the students, “Before taking this class, how much did you know about black history?”
Destyni Zuema answered, “First, I really thought I knew a lot! Like a lot like had good information. But I didn’t really know a lot, that much, until I went to Mrs. Jones’ class.”
“It changed my perspective because when you learn something, what we learn just kind of fills those corners that you weren’t taught in the first place,” said Jasmine Stephens.
The special African American Studies elective is being taught using a book that was specially designed by the district, for the district.
It is full of special pieces, including newspaper articles, pictures, interviews and Black History that happened right here in our own backyard.
“When you’re reading the book, you can actually, like, when you go home you can look around and be like, ‘Hey, I know that place, that’s in the book!’ And you can connect your everyday life with a history that we’re learning in school,” Ferrell explained proudly.
African American History is also offered as an elective in all DCPS High Schools.
“We can’t withhold this information from them if they’re going to be bigger than us and better than us and more prosperous than us and make better decisions than us. They need to have all of the information — every side of it,” Jones said.
But the district said this is just the beginning and looks forward to offering the course to more students in the future.
“It’s a lot of people interested in the class. Because not a lot of people have that opportunity and then when they hear about it, they’re like, ‘Wait, what’s going on in that class?’” Stephens told Cole.
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Ms. Jones, a mother of 11, told Cole that her kids — ones at home and in the classroom — are her biggest investment. And to be a part of a course that’s life-changing for them is an opportunity she doesn’t take for granted.
When Action News Jax Courtney Cole asked Ms. Jones what she wanted her students to walk away with after finishing the course, she tried to hold back the tears as she said this:
“They are worthy… That’s it. They are worthy of everything. Everything they receive. They are worthy. "
Right now, at least six states have introduced Critical Race Theory-related bills — including Florida. Critical Race Theory is a study in academia based concepts of systemic and institutional racism.
Action News Jax reached out to the Duval County School District to ask if they’re concerned this proposed legislation could bring the course to an end in the future.
In a response, the district sent the statement below:
“Duval County Public Schools continues to build on a strong tradition of teaching American history. We offer African American history both as an independent course elective and as an important topic integrated through other curriculum including social studies, English language arts, and courses across grade levels. The district follows all required statutes and rules regarding standards and curriculum. Critical Race Theory, as an independent topic, is not included in state standards or state-approved curriculum.”
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