Sacramento, CA, September 30, 2020 — Gov. Gavin Newsom has officially returned AB 331, a bill that would mandate Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement for all California high schoolers, to the California State Assembly. The Governor’s decision came a month after the bill was approved for passage by an overwhelming majority of State Senators. GENup would like to thank the incredible effort and support of Diversify Our Narrative and March for Our Lives California’s staff for dedicating so much time and effort into lobbying behind this bill, and the work they will continue to do to make sure it is passed. Student activists from all three of these organizations went above and beyond by making over 500 calls and sending nearly 2,000 emails to their State Senators to advocate for the passage of AB 331. A petition was sent out that got 25,867 signatures asking the Senate Appropriations Committee to pass the bill on to a vote.

Gov. Newsom released a statement in which he asked that the bill undergo more revisions to further amend the proposed curriculum. He cited concerns about a lack of an appropriate model for Ethnic Studies to be taught to California’s K-12 students as well as a lack of inclusion and balance. The model curriculum will now be revised by the Newsom administration, with primary direction coming from State Superintendent Tony Thurmond as well as the President of the State Board of Education Linda Darling-Hammond.

GENup is disappointed to hear that AB 331 was not passed, but will continue fighting until Ethnic Studies is a required course for all California students. We recognize the immense importance of implementing a curriculum that teaches it in the most effective way possible, even if that means undergoing more revisions before the bill becomes law. However, we are wary of this curriculum being pushed aside because it doesn’t meet all standards perfectly, ultimately denying thousands more California students the opportunity to take the class at all. 

Even though the Governor’s decision will indefinitely postpone the implementation of an Ethnic Studies curriculum in California high schools, the fight for Ethnic Studies is far from over. The University of California Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools will soon be considering making Ethnic Studies an admissions requirement, an important step toward catalyzing action on the district level to institute Ethnic Studies. We must do the work to ensure that this proposal passes and that Ethnic Studies is instituted into the curricula of K-12 classrooms so students begin their education with a strong awareness of their own cultural history and the cultures of their peers. We cannot afford to indoctrinate another generation of students to the pervasive narrative of white cultural supremacy. We know that knowledge is power, and when we empower our children with the knowledge of the cultural heritage of BIPOC communities, we are laying the foundation for the creation of a more equitable and inclusive society for everyone.