<\/p>\n
The panel \u201cThe 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\u00a0Riddick\u00a0and Lance Bennett.<\/p>\n
Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Black students<\/a> must see themselves represented in education and find support in their community, said North Texas education leaders at a Thursday discussion.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> impact Black students.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey need to see themselves in the curriculum. They need to see themselves in the classroom,\u201d said Marvin Dulaney<\/a>, associate professor of history emeritus at the University of Texas at Arlington.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The panel on education was the first in a series called \u201cThe State of Black Dallas<\/a>,\u201d hosted by the Bishop Arts Theatre Center and Making Black History Today, a local multimedia company.\u00a0<\/p>\n The discussion comes as Texas enters the first year of a school voucher program<\/a> and two months after the State Board of Education approved a controversial revision of the social studies curriculum and a hotly debated required\u00a0reading list<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related:<\/strong> Texas requires Bible readings on literary list, embeds Christianity in public school curriculum<\/a><\/p>\n \u201c[Make] sure you understand what’s happening in the education sphere right now, because public education is under attack,\u201d said Tiffany Clark, who represents the Dallas-Fort Worth area on the board.<\/p>\n Tiffany Clark, a member of the Texas State Board of Education, speaks on the panel \u201cThe State of Black Dallas: Education and Equity” at Bishop Arts Theatre Center, in Dallas on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Marvin\u00a0Dulaney, associate professor of history emeritus at the University of Texas at Arlington, is at right.<\/p>\n Anja Schlein\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 which is the first in the country to include Bible stories \u2014 for a lack of diversity.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick<\/a> threatened to knock down school ratings if public school districts did not remove books deemed inappropriate for children. Celina ISD<\/a> has taken books by acclaimed Black authors, including Toni Morrison\u2019s Beloved and Alice Walker\u2019s The Color Purple, off its shelves.\u00a0<\/p>\n Politicians are trying to \u201cstrip us,\u201d Clark said. If books are banned, students cannot see themselves represented, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGrowing up, we were told: \u2018Put it in the book, because a Black person would read it,\u2019\u201d Clark said. \u201cNow, we have so many Black authors that they don’t want us reading Black literature.\u201d<\/p>\n Changes are also reverberating through higher education, said Lance Bennett, the president of the People\u2019s Institute for the Common Good, a local organization aimed at fostering dialogue.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the federal and state governments crack down on racial diversity efforts, universities are rolling back<\/a> their African American studies and related programs. The University of Iowa ended <\/a>its African American studies major, and University of Texas at Austin consolidated its African and African Diaspora Studies department<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n