New York State Senate and Assembly African American History and Achievement bill S1135 / A8746 also known as the Black History Education Bill, will help bring about the empowerment of our children and our communities. The bill will provide the opportunity for the children to realize the greatness and truth of their history and to teach them that their existence did not start and will not stop with slavery. Afro Carib City Council Candidate Anthony Beckford of District 45 who is the son of Jamaican Immigrant Parents, has been advocating and has been leading the push to pass these bills. He strongly believes in the greatness of Black Culture and he believes that our children need to identify with that. History books have taught our children many lies and watered down facts. These books have taught them that their history starts from bondage, which then conditions them to accept the continuous systemic oppression and bondage in society. Council Candidate Beckford, started a petition to support the passing of the bill, which has garnered over 100,000 signatures.
“The Black History Education Bill would have a huge impact on our youth and our communities. The bill would include the indigenous history of Afro Americans, Afro Caribbeans, Afro Latinos and the African Diaspora as a whole. This taps into the true indigenous history of many other ethnicities. The teaching of Black History will also help to counter many of the bias and racist teachings and conditions that many non-Black children are subjected to within their homes. The bill, aims to create a mandatory year round curriculum of Black History. The purpose of this bill is to highlight and acknowledge the inventions by Black inventors, anti- slavery movements, Black heroes and leaders, contributions and achievements made by African Americans as part of New York’s education curriculum, including but not limited to the women’s abolitionist movement, the Harlem Renaissance, the Buffalo anti-slavery movement, and the suffrage movement for African American Long Islanders and much more. We must teach our children where they come from, so that they can know who they are and plan to be who they are destined to be. It’s Our Time.” – Anthony Beckford
Petition Link: https://www.change.org/p/new-york-state-senate-assembly-pass-the-black-history-education-bill
Anthony’s Website Link: anthonybeckford.nationbuilder.com
*Anthony Beckford is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Community Leader, Affiliate member of the More Caucus UFT, son of Jamaican Immigrants, President of Black Lives Matter Brooklyn and 2021 New York City Council Candidate of District 45.