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Black Children, White Curriculums (Part II) – The Local Fight for Cultural Relevance in Detroit’s Classrooms 

July 28, 2025

Detroit Public Schools Community District is actively reforming its curriculum to better represent Black history and culture beyond just slavery and civil rights, addressing the fact that only 13% of Michigan's K-12 curricula include meaningful Black historical content. Under Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti's leadership, the district has developed specialized programs including a Detroit History curriculum and the Detroit Perspectives Project, which incorporate local Black history, movements, and diverse literary works. Chief Academic Officer Leenet Campbell-Williams emphasizes their commitment to creating education that is both academically rigorous and culturally relevant for the district's predominantly Black student population.

Who is affected

  • Black students in Detroit Public Schools Community District (82% of the district's student population)
  • Detroit students more broadly who previously lacked curriculum reflecting their culture and history
  • Teachers and educators implementing the new curriculum approaches
  • Parents and community members who advocated for more inclusive educational materials
  • Michigan students statewide, where only 13% receive meaningful Black historical content

What action is being taken

  • DPSCD is implementing the Detroit History curriculum exploring labor movements, Great Migration, music traditions, and local leaders
  • The district is pairing this with the Citizen Manual resource teaching local government and civic action
  • The Detroit Perspectives Project is revising literacy materials to center Black stories of resistance and resilience
  • The district actively reviews teaching materials for explicit and implicit biases with internal and external stakeholders
  • Curriculum materials are being made available for community review and feedback
  • DPSCD is weaving Black history throughout all grades rather than limiting it to one unit or month

Why it matters

  • Current Michigan curriculum reflects Eurocentric priorities despite demographics
  • A 2023 Education Trust study confirms only 13% of state K-12 curricula include meaningful Black historical content outside slavery and civil rights
  • Students learn better when curriculum affirms their identity and connects to their lived experiences
  • The default educational system centers Eurocentric identities and perspectives, potentially harming non-white students
  • Culturally affirming education helps build academic confidence and develops critical consciousness
  • The initiative addresses historical erasure and builds curriculum reflecting the full humanity of Black students
  • National pressure is mounting to strip curriculum of diversity, making this work especially urgent

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle

Black Children, White Curriculums (Part II) – The Local Fight for Cultural Relevance in Detroit’s Classrooms