Texas Educators Propose Slavery Be Taught As ‘Involuntary Relocation’

Republican-led states are continuing to remake Black history into a clean-cut retelling with anti-CRT laws. According to the Texas Tribute, a group of Texas educators is looking to take this further with a proposal for slavery to be taught as ‘involuntary relocation.’ The proposal was sent to the Texas State Board of Education and would pertain to 2nd graders in social studies class.

As looked at by the Tribute, a draft of the proposal says the second-grade students should “compare journeys to America, including voluntary Irish immigration and involuntary relocation of African people during colonial times.” Although the board will have a final vote on the school curriculum in November and is currently considering updates to social studies instruction, they suggested the group reconsider the proposed phrasing.

Board member Aicha Davis brought up concerns to the board, saying that wording is not a “fair representation” of the slave trade.

“For K-2, carefully examine the language used to describe events, specifically the term ‘involuntary relocation,’” the state board wrote in its guidance to the work group. “I can’t say what their intention was, but that’s not going to be acceptable,”

Chair of the Texas State Board of Education Kevin Ellis also released a statement on Thursday stating, “The board — with unanimous consent — directed the work group to revisit that specific language.”

This is another example of how Texas wishes to divorce itself from American history. Last year, State Rep. Matt Krause (R-TX) wrote up an 850 book list that he felt “make students feel discomfort” for their racism and sexuality content.

Texas also passed their own anti-CRT law restraining teachers from discussing a widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs.” Specifically, in Senate Bill 3, the law instructs teachers that “slavery can’t be taught as part of the true founding of the United States and that slavery was nothing more than a deviation from American values.”