Frequently Asked Questions

Launched in August 2019 in The New York Times Magazine as a collection of essays and other works by journalists, historians, and artists.  One of the lead journalists is Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones.  The collection and now book seeks to center the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans in every aspect of the American historical narrative.

For more information, click here.

The 1776 Commission Report was commissioned by the first Trump administration as a reaction against the 1619 Project. According to groups like the American Historical Association, the report was not written by any professional historians, and the AHA Council wrote an open letter condeming the Report, which was co-signed by a large number of professional history associations. 

According to Ibram Kendi’s book, How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist ideas argue that racist policies are the cause of racial inequities. Antiracism is a powerful collection of antiracist policies that lead to racial equity and are substantiated by antiracist ideas.

According to PEN America, a book ban is "any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished."  While proponents of book removals often point to the fact that families can theoretically still purhcase a book after it is removed from a school or library, in reality many students can only access books through their public institutions. 

An academic and legal framework designed in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that race is a social construct and racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but is embedded legal systems and policies.

For the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's resources on Critical Race Theory, 

click here. 

For EdWeekly's resources on Critical Race Theory, click here. 

A research based method of teaching that integrates student’s lived experiences, cultures, and languages into curriculum.  It seeks to make the learning encounters of ethnically diverse students more relevant to and effective for these students, according to Geneva Gay.  Further, it is based on a set of cultural competencies including seeing cultural differences as assets, creating caring learning communities where culturally different individuals and their heritage are valued; using the cultural heritage and ways of being and culture to drive curriculum development and instructional strategies - Teel and Obidah (2008).

(DEI) are interconnected concepts that focus on creating a fair and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and has the opportunity to thrive. Diversity refers to the presence of differences in a group, while equity ensures fair treatment and equal opportunities for all, and inclusion creates a sense of belonging and encourages participation. 

An approach that seeks to understand and determine what individuals need to be successful.

An approach that assumes that equal distribution of resources leads to each person’s success; it also assumes that everyone starts from the same place and needs the same things.

“Broadly speaking, social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process through which individuals learn and apply a set of social, emotional, and related skills, attitudes, behaviors, and values that help direct their thoughts, feelings, and actions in ways that enable them to succeed in school, work, and life” (NAVIGATING SEL FROM THE INSIDE OUT, a resource guide from the Harvard Graduate School of Education) .Parents appreciat the use of Social Emotional Learning curriculum as a key strategy to support students as they experience emotional hardships especially during the pandemic.  The components of Social Emotional Learning include teaching children about:

- Self Awareness

- Self Management

- Relationship Skills

- Responsible Decision Making

"Woke" originated within African American English as a term for increased awareness of racial injustice, discrimination, and social inequality. It has evolved to encompass a broader meaning of being aware and attentive to issues of social and political justice, often with an emphasis on activism and fighting for change

"Education Savings Accounts" or "Education Scholarship Trust Funds" are newer terms which supporters use to reference what have been traditionally called "school vouchers". Although SC's Constitution prohibits the public funding of private schools, a new SC law has funded private vouchers, as well as homeschool programs and other private educational entities. 

ALL STUDENTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA DESERVE FREE ACCESS TO BOOKS AND TRUTHFUL CURRICULUM.