As the Texas State Board of Education reviews proposals for the state’s public school social studies curriculum this summer, one request has raised quite a few concerns. A group of teachers has asked that slavery be introduced as “involuntary relocation” to second-grade students. Reports say the group has been urged to rethink its decision.
Yesterday (June 30), Keven Ellis (chair of the Texas State Board of Education) issued a statement saying, “The board — with unanimous consent — directed the work group to revisit that specific language.” The proposal was first heard on June 15. After a board member noted the change would not be a “fair representation” of the slave trade, the suggestion was not approved. “For K-2, carefully examine the language used to describe events, specifically the term ‘involuntary relocation,’” state board members said. Yesterday, Aicha Davis, a Democrat who sits on the board, told The Texas Tribune, “I can’t say what their intention was, but that’s not going to be acceptable.” She added, “They were given Senate Bill 3, so that had to have influenced their mind with that being a document given to them right before they had to perform this review.”
According to the outlet, Senate Bill 3 is part of a Texas law claiming that “slavery can’t be taught as part of the true founding of the United States” because “slavery was nothing more than a deviation from American values.” After catching wind of the proposal, social media users expressed their disbelief. “I am suing if my kids get a textbook calling slavery ‘involuntary relocation’ and I will go bankrupt doing this. You will not rewrite history to benefit your children and demean mine,” one person shared. Another wrote, “This is a horrifying attempt to erase the history of oppression of Black Americans. We must all loudly reject this whitewashing of our history.”
I am suing if my kids get a textbook calling slavery "involuntary relocation" and I will go bankrupt doing this..
You will not rewrite history to benefit your children and demean mine.
— Sailor Michael⚓✈ (@Megawatts55) July 1, 2022
Republicans now refuse to use the word “slavery”. https://t.co/77OGlCfape
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) July 1, 2022
“Public schools in Texas would describe slavery to second graders as "involuntary relocation" under new social studies standards proposed to the state's education board.” – @AP
Are you Fucking kidding me with this?
— Jo 🌻 (@JoJoFromJerz) July 1, 2022
A group of Texas educators proposed to the Texas Board of Education that slavery should be instead taught as “involuntary relocation.”
This is a horrifying attempt to erase the history of oppression of Black Americans. We must all loudly reject this whitewashing of our history.
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) July 1, 2022
Conservatives in Texas are proposing to replace the term "slavery" in public schools with the term "involuntary relocation" because they're worried kids might feel uncomfortable with reality, which escalates their right-wing hysteria over CRT into straight-up slavery denialism.
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) July 1, 2022
Texas wants to change slavery to involuntary relocation? Next they’ll want to change genocide to — taking one for the team.
— Lakota Man (@LakotaMan1) June 30, 2022
Nothing wrong with a little "Involuntary Relocation", right? pic.twitter.com/4kNwXXEbl0
— Derrick is PRO CHOICE♎ #BLM 🇺🇦 🏳️🌈 (@Spawn_03) July 1, 2022