NJ’s Amistad Act calls for accurate history lessons in schools. Time to fund it.

The Amistad Act became law in New Jersey half a generation ago, which I learned today is long enough ago for young equal education activists to have never heard of it. “What’s that?” a young friend asked on Facebook when I suggested that we pressure state government to fund the Amistad Commission’s mandate to bring historically accurate curricula and books that teach the true roles African Americans and other ethnic minorities have played in the evolution of society both at home and abroad, to all K-12 classrooms. This knowledge is not currently being taught to our children but in New Jersey it ought to be, because state law calls for it.

Defeating the implementation of the Amistad Act was as easy as legislators failing to fund the development of a robust curriculum or funding the replacement of public schools’ standard Euro-centric textbooks with historically accurate versions. The few State resources that have been developed are not widely promoted.

Writing about the Amistad legislation he introduced in 1998 that became law in 2002, Assemblyman Bill Payne says,

The truthful role of African Americans (in United States history is) not taught. For instance, in the Revolutionary War, feats of the Continental Army and the minute men are depicted but the role of Peter Salem, one of thousands of blacks who fought in the War of Independence, is omitted. I was taught about the Battle of Bunker Hill but never of the black soldiers who fought there. In fact, it was Peter Salem who is credited with killing British Major Pitcarn, which was a turning point in that war. We have fought bravely in every war in which our country has been involved …

Interest in Amistad legislation has also been expressed by the education department of the national NAACP and by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators as well as other organizations …

The curriculum as generally taught in most school districts, often fosters a false sense of superiority among white students and renders African American children ignorant of their ancestors’ role and contributions to the development of this country. Thus, they are often devoid of self-esteem, self-confidence and pride which are essential for positive growth.

After the Amistad Act became law in New Jersey, several other states modeled Amistad Commissions of their own after ours, including New York State where Columbia University Professor Manning Marabel has developed the Amistad Digital Resource to support teaching more accurate history.

Resources for more historically accurate teaching

Zinn Education Project
A Mighty Girl
Humans of New York
Amistad Digital Resource
New Jersey State Amistad Curriculum
New Jersey Amistad Curriculum on-line

Law is a tool to which the adage, “Use it or lose it,” applies. We have the legal means for enforcing the accurate teaching of history to our state’s children and we should rally behind it and make sure this law is implemented at the soonest possible date.