BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — Ahead of Black History Month, Gov. Ned Lamont highlighted a new high school course covering African American, Black, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies.
This class is the result of a 2019 state law requiring all high schools offer these areas of study.
“To learn a history that is embedded into American history, is something that should be celebrated year-round,” said State Rep. Bobby Gibson, (D-Bloomfield).
Connecticut is the first state in the nation with this requirement and students say this class is helping them gain a broader perspective of their history.
“In other history classes some things might be skipped over because they want to avoid it because it's the truth, but now in this course, the truth is being revealed about all the Latino and African American cultures and their achievements,” said Tirth Barochia, 11th grader at CREC Academy of International Studies.
This started as a pilot program last year and is now a required class for 10th graders at Bloomfield’s CREC Academy of International Studies.
“History 365 days,” added Ingrid Canady, a consultant with the State Education Resource Center. “That sounds beautiful to me.”
The year-long course focuses on African American history for the fall semester and Latino studies in the spring.
Teacher Michaela Katzman helped launch the class and says it offers students a different access point to history.
“Students are really used to talking about African history and it started with slavery, and that isn't the case,” Katzman said. “They're getting this new perspective and it's just opening so many more doors for them.”
Right now all public high schools in the state are required to offer these studies as an elective.
The state education department says 175 districts are actively teaching the course, with over 1,500 students participating last year.
“We are much better off as a state in the country when you have a better understanding of our full history,” Lamont said Tuesday.
He wants to eventually incorporate the studies into all history curricula in the state and these students are on-board.
“In other states, you see so much discrimination compared to Connecticut,” said 11th grader Lee Braun. “If they were able to learn about this at a younger age and be able to have this instituted into their education system from the beginning, then there wouldn't be so much hate or so much discrimination in other states.”
Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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