The panel “The State of Black Dallas: Education and Equity” at Bishop Arts Theatre Center was held Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Dallas. From left is Tiffany Clark, Marvin Dulaney, moderator Liz Gators, Kimberly Riddick and Lance Bennett.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
Black students must see themselves represented in education and find support in their community, said North Texas education leaders at a Thursday discussion.
Four panelists grappled with questions ranging from what is being put in (and left out) of curriculum, who is around to support their children, and where opportunities are headed. They discussed how changes unfolding in K-12 and post-secondary education impact Black students.
“They need to see themselves in the curriculum. They need to see themselves in the classroom,” said Marvin Dulaney, associate professor of history emeritus at the University of Texas at Arlington.
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The panel on education was the first in a series called “The State of Black Dallas,” hosted by the Bishop Arts Theatre Center and Making Black History Today, a local multimedia company.
The discussion comes as Texas enters the first year of a school voucher program and two months after the State Board of Education approved a controversial revision of the social studies curriculum and a hotly debated required reading list.
Related: Texas requires Bible readings on literary list, embeds Christianity in public school curriculum
“[Make] sure you understand what’s happening in the education sphere right now, because public education is under attack,” said Tiffany Clark, who represents the Dallas-Fort Worth area on the board.
Tiffany Clark, a member of the Texas State Board of Education, speaks on the panel “The State of Black Dallas: Education and Equity” at Bishop Arts Theatre Center, in Dallas on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Marvin Dulaney, associate professor of history emeritus at the University of Texas at Arlington, is at right.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
In June, the board gave the green light on social studies learning standards to be taught in kindergarten through eighth grade. Members clashed over the portrayal of Black Americans, such as the cause of the Civil War and the purpose of the Black Power movement. Advocates have criticized the mandatory reading list — which is the first in the country to include Bible stories — for a lack of diversity.
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Earlier this month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick threatened to knock down school ratings if public school districts did not remove books deemed inappropriate for children. Celina ISD has taken books by acclaimed Black authors, including Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, off its shelves.
Politicians are trying to “strip us,” Clark said. If books are banned, students cannot see themselves represented, she said.
“Growing up, we were told: ‘Put it in the book, because a Black person would read it,’” Clark said. “Now, we have so many Black authors that they don’t want us reading Black literature.”
Changes are also reverberating through higher education, said Lance Bennett, the president of the People’s Institute for the Common Good, a local organization aimed at fostering dialogue.
As the federal and state governments crack down on racial diversity efforts, universities are rolling back their African American studies and related programs. The University of Iowa ended its African American studies major, and University of Texas at Austin consolidated its African and African Diaspora Studies department.
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The University of North Texas will shut down more than 70 academic programs, including an Africana minor. The school cited low enrollment and budget woes.
Related: UNT to close, consolidate dozens of academic programs amid budget cuts
“It really is happening all across the country,” he said.
The audience listens during the panel “The State of Black Dallas: Education and Equity” at Bishop Arts Theatre Center in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
The Black community must elect people with their interests at heart, panelists said. With the midterms soon approaching, consequential races will be on the ballot, including the State Board of Education.
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The 15-member board is divided among party lines — and eight seats will be up for grabs in November. The representatives are not required to hold a teaching credential, but Clark wants to ensure that they do.
“The perfect table for the State Board of Education looks like educators making decisions for education,” Clark said.
Kimberly Riddick, director of Student Leadership and Success at the University of North Texas at Dallas, said representation matters — and so do relationships.
If a parent doesn’t have time to devote to their child’s education, a support system needs to be in place, whether that’s a grandparent or neighbor, she said.
“Who are the surrogates who can step in in their place?” Riddick said. “Who is it that can be the community and the support that the student needs in order to … turn their talent into actual achievement?”
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The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.