By Kaylin Jean-Louis
Grassroots organizations have devised creative methods to ensure Black history is taught despite legislative restrictions like Florida’s HB 7, which bans comprehensive Black history education in K-20 schools. Local activists have created several community-driven initiatives to provide this education to students.
Digital Outreach and Community Engagement
One such activist is Tallahassee resident Joseph Ward. While working at the Leon County Health Department, the Rickards High School and Florida A&M University graduate was troubled by students’ lack of knowledge about key historical figures like Harriet Tubman and Malcolm X. This led him to create “On the Shoulders of Giants,” a platform to educate the community about the African Diaspora and Black history through podcasts, blogs and events.
“With this organization, I wanted to educate my community on important aspects of Black history and inspire them to look for the information themselves,” said Ward, who said he was inspired by his father, a long-time African American history professor. His initiative is built on the principle “say what you know and know what you say,” to ensure all information is factual and evidence-based.
To gauge how much people learn from his content, Ward relies on social media engagement and innovative testing methods. He currently has 56,000 subscribers to his podcast.
One viewer commented after viewing Ward’s podcast titled “The Importance of the Preservation of African American History.”
“Yes, we need to preserve our history and research things more in depth. I have learned so much I did not know by focusing on just the U.S,” said one viewer during the live chat.
Despite facing challenges such as limited funding and restricted school access, Ward plans to host after-school programs and community events and connect with families outside the classroom. Looking ahead, Ward has additional goals to engage students on Black history.
“In the next five years, I plan to expand my social media presence with my blog and YouTube to reach one million sub- scribers. I also plan to build a museum and education center in the downtown area of Tallahassee, preferably on the Southside or in Frenchtown,” Ward said. He wants to establish a permanent space for learning about Black history. Leveraging Church Networks Another initiative is Faith in Florida’s
Black History Toolkit, conceptualized by two Florida pastors, the Rev. Tony Drayton and the Rev. Rhonda Thomas. The toolkit was created to be used by churches to teach Black history to their congregations.
“The Black History toolkit was created last year in response to HB 7,” explained Marlowe Jones, a member of Faith in Florida. “We want to give people the freedom to learn knowledge that is being suppressed in schools.”
According to the website, Faith in Florida is a network of congregations and community organizations whose aim is “to address systemic racial and economic issues that cause poverty in families.”
The toolkit has been distributed through church networks, continuing the African American history education tradition that began in homes and churches.
The Pasco community activist said they created the toolkit hoping 500 congregations would pledge to teach African American history. To date, 425 congregations have taken advantage of the information.
Jones believes the toolkit has increased church attendance and engagement at his church.
“Personally, my pastor is using the toolkit, and because of it, more people are coming to church not just to worship but to learn new things they never knew about Black history.”
He also believes the toolkit educates children who learn more through interactive activities than they might in K-12 systems.
“We are working with a non-profit organization called the African American Club to host movie screenings that show he roots of Black history to make the experience engaging so kids can better understand the information,” Jones said.
However, he admitted challenges exist such as living in a politically uncertain swing state and potential scrutiny concerns.
Local Historical Engagement
The Tallahassee Urban League takes a local, historical approach to teaching Black history by showing the community, especially youth, little known historical facts.
President Curtis Taylor said this organization focuses on serving, empowering and changing the lives of community members through various programs, from housing rehabilitation to youth issue-oriented initiatives.
Additionally, the organization provides tours of Black historic places in Tallahassee, such as the Urban League, Frenchtown and the Taylor House.
“We give tours of historic places in Tallahassee like the Taylor House to discuss places current generations would never learn about in schools,” Taylor explained.
He hopes these tours and events will deepen the understanding and appreciation of local Black history.
With these initiatives come challenges. One of the most significant obstacles is securing funding and resources. Ward emphasized the difficulty in obtaining the necessary support to expand their reach and impact.
“I did not expect it to be difficult to teach Black history within Black communities to Black people. I did not expect all the barriers to be in the way. I had to learn how to creatively get around the ‘no’s,’ even from people who look like me and find a way to make it happen,” Ward said. Limited financial resources often mean these organizations rely heavily on community support, which can confine their capacity and sustainability.
Similarly, the restrictive legislation in Florida presents another hurdle for Faith in Florida. HB 7 has created an environment where teaching African American history in schools is met with political tension. Jones expressed how the organization’s toolkit contends with the political climate while prioritizing the safety of its participants.
“There are always challenges when you are living in the swing state of Florida. However, we do encourage pastors to think about safety when educating their congregations,” Jones said.
Lastly, engaging the community and raising awareness about the importance of Black history is an ongoing challenge. The Tallahassee Urban League, for instance, strives to make historical education relevant and engaging to the local community.
Taylor shares that he hopes to get more youth and college students interested in learning local unknown aspects of history.
While these organizations may be presented with ongoing challenges, they aim to improve their initiatives so they can preserve and teach Black History, ensuring it remains accessible to future generations.
Kaylin Jean-Louis is a third-year Broadcast Journalism scholar at Florida A&M University, hailing from Tallahassee, FL. Aiming to make a difference through authentic storytelling, she makes a difference through various platforms, including her two radio shows, “Inspiring Moments with Kaylin” on Hallelujah 95.3 FM and “Feel Good Vibes & Motivation” on 90.5 The Flava. Kaylin aspires to become an award- winning multimedia journalist who uses her voice to drive positive change.
