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The Objectives of the Curriculum

  1. To provide a chronological framework for teaching African and African American History.
  2. To provide a model curriculum for infusing and teaching the African and African American History and culture beginning with Ancient Africa and continuing through African American History.
  3. To provide information about the contributions and inventions of people of African descent in the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and to the rest of the world.
  4. To the knowledge and skills of students with respect to the history of Ancient Africa, slavery, post slavery, and the Civil Rights Movement and contributions.
  5. To infuse African and African American History as an integral part of American History, including such periods as the Reconstruction, Harlem Renaissance, World Wars I and II, as well as other national and global events.

The Seven Elements of the Curriculum

Perspective on the African and African American History Model

A close scrutiny of the new law, Florida Statute 1003.42 (2) (h) 2002, requires instructions in the history of African Americans, including the history of African people, and points in the direction of a new emphasis on the teaching of ancient African history and connections to African Americans.

However, the model, which follows, clearly points to fact that ancient African history surpassed slavery and post slavery. It provides a positive set of information indicating that Ancient Africans were developed and civilized peoples who created complex and sophisticated societies. Many African societies built classical universities covering such diverse disciplines as natural sciences, extensive literary forms, and politics.

An example of this development according to Clarke (1981) was the University of Sankore in Timbuktu, which stood for over 500 years. The Moroccans and faculty destroyed the university in 1591 and scholars were exiled. Ahmed Baba authored over 40 books on such themes as theology, astronomy, ethnography, and biography. His rich library of 1600 books was lost during his expatriation from Timbuktu. Therefore, any model for teaching African history must focus on the rich, yet forgotten history of these African civilizations, and the Golden Ages in Africa which were unmatched by any other ancient civilization at the time.

In 1994 and 2002, the Florida Legislature passed the following law that required instruction for African and African American History. This law provides that “Members of the instructional staff of the public schools shall teach efficiently and faithfully, using books and materials required, following prescribed course of study, and employing approved methods of instruction.”

“§ 233.061 (2) (g) 1994 and 1003.42(2)(h) 2002 as amended, F.S. reads, “The history of African Americans, including the history of African Peoples before the political conflicts that led to the development of slavery, the passage to America, the enslavement experience, abolition, and the contributions of African Americans to society.”