Article published Feb 23, 2006 Bill expands civil rights education By Natasha Smith Lillie Burney Elementary School student Edreana Carter, 9, takes pride in the red and black poster board she used for a tribute to Malcolm X. The fourth-grade student said learning about the civil rights movement and its leaders is a subject she enjoys. "I just like learning about a lot of people and the changes they made," Carter said. Carter's poster board was made as a Black History Month project but state legislation could extend the lesson beyond her Mississippi history class and the month of February. A legislative bill that was passed by the House Education Committee could make civil rights a regular part of instruction. It passed the state Senate in early February. The measure is now in the House Appropriations Committee. Senate Bill 2718 calls for the Mississippi Board of Education to make civil rights and human rights education a part of the K-12 curriculum. The bill would also establish a civil rights education commission to inventory civil rights exhibits and resources. Sen. Gray Tollison, D-Oxford, authored the bill. Tollison did not return several phone calls made to his office. Rep. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, who serves on the House Education Committee, said he does not see why the bill wouldn't pass. He said the main component of the bill is for the commission to review the way civil rights are taught and make a recommendation. The state school board would then decide on that recommendation. "It says 'may' not 'shall'," Fillingane said. "No one's arm is being twisted." State Superintendent of Education Hank Bounds said he's excited about the bill. "Our students certainly need to understand all of the history of Mississippi and all the struggles our parents and their parents went through for us to have the opportunities we have," he said. Civil rights and human rights education could be implemented into various courses across the curriculum, including arts, music and history, Bounds said. Wayne Folkes, principal of Oak Grove High School, agreed civil rights and human rights could be covered in different subjects. His school does just that. Folkes said his teachers discuss the topics during U.S. history and government courses. At Oak Grove High School, students do not have to be in a classroom to get the lesson either. This month, Folkes said, students are using the announcement system each morning to provide a brief black history lesson. This week is also International Cultural Diversity Week at the school where each day is filled with a different cultural theme. That means students get to sample foods from different continents each day in the cafeteria. One day it's soul food, the next day it could be Italian, Folkes said. "The more we educate our children about diversity, the more we talk to them about diversity, the better the world is," Folkes said. That's what one teacher plans to do at Lillie Burney Elementary School. Jynell Cobbert said she has one Mexican student in her class of mostly black students this year. Therefore, she plans to incorporate units on Mexico into her lesson plan. Cobbert prides herself on teaching civil and human rights throughout the year as a matter of course. The fourth-grade teacher said her civil rights lessons don't only focus on blacks, but women and other groups as well. She's pleased that legislation is being considered, but also hopes that the lessons will focus on all groups that fought for their rights. "Civil and human rights are not just about African-Americans," Cobbert said. "It's about all people." Source: Hattiesburg American http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060223/NEWS01/602230309/1002 ======== North American Human Rights Education listserv ======= Send mail intended for the list to < >. Archives of the list can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/hr-education-na/ **You are welcome to reprint, copy, archive, quote or re-post this item, but please retain the original and listserv source.
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