Overview

• The Francis Howell School District board in Missouri has reversed its decision to end Black history courses following protests and backlash.
• The board initially voted 5-2 to stop offering these elective courses, a decision that was met with protests from parents, students, and activists.
• The board has announced that it will offer Black History and Black Literature with an updated curriculum standard in the 2024-2025 school year, which must be approved and is expected to be 'rigorous and largely politically neutral'.
• Activists have expressed skepticism about the board's plan for a 'politically-neutral' curriculum, arguing that Black history and literature cannot be taught from such a perspective due to the socio-political impacts on the Black experience in America.
• The board's decision and the subsequent reversal come amid a broader national context of intense political battles over school board elections and curriculum content, particularly around issues of race and sexuality.