The heads of the Florida Education Association and the Georgia Federation of Teachers tell us how they’re advocating for students and fighting censorship.
Black Wall Street, the Red Summer of 1919, redlining, the truth about what happened after Reconstruction, how the March on Washington was organized — there’s plenty of Black history most of us weren’t taught in our middle and high school U.S. history classes. But what happens if teaching Black history becomes illegal nationwide?
Some experts worry that’s the goal of the Trump administration and other conservatives who have spent the past several years censoring Black history in schools. But while politicians attempt to suppress the truth, teacher unions are saying, “not on our watch.”
“Education is about being uncomfortable,” says Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association (FEA). “If we only teach what makes people feel good, we aren’t teaching the full truth. The history of this country includes painful and unjust moments. It’s our responsibility to make sure students learn from that.”
Amid the growing war on Black history, teacher unions nationwide have become one of the most tangible defenses against such restrictions. Through legal pushbacks, advocacy efforts, and community initiatives, teacher unions — especially in more politically restrictive states — are making it clear that the fight for Black history is far from over.
The southern strategy
The FEA, the state’s largest teacher’s union, has plenty of recent experience with attacks on the truth. In 2021, Florida became ground zero for the modern war on Black history. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, the state launched an all-out attack on how race would be taught in public schools. First came the Stop WOKE Act, which restricted how and what educators could teach about racism and slavery. Then came the book bans, a crackdown on DEI initiatives, and the removal of Black history lessons deemed “too divisive.”
The crackdown on Black history spread across the South — at least 18 states and several local school districts have since jumped on the bandwagon, led primarily by Republican politicians.
Florida drew national outrage in 2023 for rewriting its African American history curriculum with new standards suggesting that enslaved people “benefited” from slavery because they learned new skills.
Meanwhile, Georgia banned educators from teaching students anything that they claimed would cause “guilt” or “anguish” over past racial injustices, and in 2024, Georgia’s state superintendent refused to fund AP African American Studies courses.
“We raised hell and dust about it,” Georgia Federation of Teachers President Verdaillia Turner says. “They want to whitewash history and make sure our children don’t know who they are. But, we have to fight for our heritage and culture just like everyone else.”
The argument for censorship
Evidence-based history education does not assign guilt or victimhood to students based on their racial or ethnic background. Instead, it seeks to ensure students understand complex historical events and develop critical thinking skills.
However, proponents of these restrictions argue that teaching students about race can cause feelings of guilt or discomfort among students, especially White students. When introducing the Stop WOKE Act in 2021, DeSantis stated, “No taxpayer dollars should be used to teach our kids to hate our country or each other.”
Similar rhetoric can be found in the Trump administration’s directives. A Jan. 29 executive order titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schools” states that in schools, “innocent children are compelled to adopt identities as either victims or oppressors solely based on their skin color and other immutable characteristics.” Two weeks later, on Feb. 17, the U.S. Department of Education slashed $600 million from teacher prep programs, including training to “help educators confront biases and have transformative conversations about equity.”
The Trump administration’s recent threat to pull federal funding from universities and K-12 districts with DEI programs could harm states like California, Illinois, and New York, which have strengthened their Black history curricula and have more legislative support.
“The whitewashing of history is an attempt to control the future,” Turner says. “If our children don’t know their history, they are more vulnerable to oppression and discrimination. We can’t let that happen.”
The resistance: In court and beyond
Spar says the FEA has pushed back against DeSantis’ policies through lawsuits and public campaigns. In 2023, they collaborated with the Florida Freedom to Read Project and Families for Strong Public Schools in filing a petition challenging the state’s censorship agenda to undermine public education and restrict access to diverse literature.
“Our work doesn’t stop in the classroom,” Spar says. “We are organizing parents, students, and educators to make sure their voices are heard at school board meetings, in the media, and in the courts.”
Turner says the Georgia Federation of Teachers works alongside educators, local leaders, and policymakers to ensure Black history curriculum remains intact despite state-level censorship. Additionally, GFT has also offered assistance to educators who’ve been penalized for teaching comprehensive Black history and has helped to address the growing teacher shortage in Georgia.
About 70 percent of the nation’s 3.2 million teachers are union members, but depending on state laws, their power varies. For Spar and Turner, strengthening union participation among educators is key to fighting back against efforts to censor Black history.
“The first thing I’m always going to say to educators is to join your union, “ Spar says. “Because your union is what has your back, and your union is who is fighting. If we truly want to change what’s happening in the state of Florida, we have to have a strong voice. And the only way we have that is to stand together.”
They also say educators must foster meaningful connections with Black students and extend educational opportunities beyond the classroom.
“Have school after school,” Turner says, and meet students wherever they are. “They deserve to know that we’re all there for them, that we respect them, and that we are going to do everything we can to make sure they get the education they need.”
And resist systemic efforts to suppress knowledge that empowers Black communities.
“It takes a whole community to fight back,” Turner says. “We have to lock arms with every person involved who believes in truth and justice. We can’t afford to be silent.”
This article was originally published by Word in Black.