The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the process of building and developing ethnic studies courses, particularly the Mexican American and African American Studies Curriculum for Texas high schools. Dr. Lawrence Scott and the Honorable Marisa Perez-Diaz will discuss their contributions in the passage and implementation of Ethnic Studies courses, particularly as it relates to the African American Studies and Mexican American Studies Courses now offered for high schools around the State of Texas. This chapter explores the inception of both courses, the development, and the process of gaining consensus and concessions for both courses. Both courses were unanimously passed by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), but did see some challenges throughout the process. Dr. Lawrence Scott and Texas State Board of Education Member Marisa Perez-Diaz will also discuss how they employed varying leadership styles, in collaboration with stakeholders from around Texas to help establish, pass, and implement the Mexican American and African American Studies Courses in Texas.
TopIntroduction
When addressing the disparities of our African American and Latinx communities, there is a superfluity of statistics and reports that offer a grim picture. According to the U.S. Census Bureau Data Income and Poverty Report (Proctor, Semega, & Kollar, 2015) African Americans and Hispanics led the nation’s poverty rate of 24.1% and 21.4% respectively, as opposed to the 9.1% of non-Hispanic Whites and 11.4% of Asians. When we discuss annual income, African Americans and Hispanics median incomes were only $36,898, and $45, 148 respectively. Their counterparts, Whites and Asians’ incomes were $62,950 and $77, 166, respectively. There has been some glimmer of hope. From 2008-2018, Black and Hispanic incarceration rates have decreased significantly. Black incarceration rates have dropped 28%, and Hispanic incarceration rates have dipped by 21% (Carson, 2020). Even though there has been a slight drop in incarceration rates for Blacks, there is still a disproportionate number of Blacks victimized by the penal system. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Report, Blacks make up 14.6% of the U.S. population, but comprise 38.3% of the prison population (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2020). Also noted, within their lifetimes, African American men of all ages are 5 times more likely to have been incarcerated than their White counterparts (Carson, 2020).
It is evident that educational opportunities can be the catalyst to helping students from underrepresented and vulnerable communities, despite the disproportionality in incarceration and recidivism rates stemming from systemic and institutionalized racism (Christian & Thomas, 2009; Hammer, 2019; Wacquant, 2014). As graduation and matriculation into college increased, the incarceration and recidivism decreased. African American males who graduated from high school and matriculated into college only made up 5% of the incarcerated population (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007). The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the process of developing Ethnic Studies courses at the high school level. From a nuanced perspective, assistant professor of Texas A&M-San Antonio, Dr. Lawrence Scott, and Texas State Board of Education member, the Honorable Marisa Perez-Diaz, discuss their contributions in the passage and implementation of ethnic studies courses. At the moment, Texas is the only state in the nation that offers African American and Mexican American Studies (MAS) at the high school level statewide for graduation credit.