Amid book bans, an ‘educational Underground Railroad’
Deborah Barfield Berry
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Black historians read passages from banned books last month in a local park in Florida.
In Washington, D.C., Black members of Congress that same week hosted panels on preserving Black history at a conference.
And in Pennsylvania, a 91-year-old pastor reached out to an expert in South Carolina to help his church set up Black history lessons.
They are part of a growing movement across the country of educators, lawmakers, civil rights activists and church leaders who say there is a renewed urgency to teach Black history in the wake of a crackdown on Black scholars and inclusive lesson plans. The effort has seen historians share ways others can teach Black history, churches hold history classes during Bible study, film festivals showcase Black history work, and Black leaders in Congress ask museums and local institutions to help in the campaign to preserve that history.