Bill would require curriculum standards to include content on marginalized people

MARYLAND – A hearing was held today for Senate Bill 916, otherwise known as the Educate to Stop the Hate Act.

The bill would create curriculum standards for county boards of education to include content on marginalized groups of people when studying history.

It would also require that the curriculum look at the root causes of marginalization and historical discrimination and how that continues to the present.

This would include information about the African American, LGBTQ and immigrant communities.

Charlotte Persephone Hoffman, Policy Director for Trans Maryland, said anti-hate education is important, especially in a time where inaccurate information is very prevalent.

“Making sure that we’re in stories about us is absolutely crucial to making sure that young people learn what our realities are and that we’re not like the strange freaks that people on social media say we are,” said Hoffman.

Hoffman says while this legislation won’t solve all the problems on its own, this is one of many steps need to take to help marginalized people.