As a member of the Inclusive American History Commission and assistant professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Asif Wilson elaborated on how Public Act 101-0654 built on the work of Black women who have made historic and lasting impacts in education policy. He discussed how the school code made changes to revise the State Board of Education's Learning Standards for Social Science, to establish an Inclusive American History Commission and add a Black History unit of instruction. Dr. Wilson’s report recommended high-quality professional learning, long-term commitments to ensure inclusive and equitable social science, and continued and sustained supports.
Drawing on recommendations from the Inclusive American History Commission, Dr. Wilson provided assistance to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) by forming the Social Studies Network and the Inclusive, Inquiry-based Social Studies for Illinois (i3) professional learning series. This support is critical for revising the social science learning standards and developing “guidance tools, and support for professional learning on how to locate and utilize resources for non-dominant cultural narratives and sources of historical information.” The law mandated course content in Black History, History of Women, Asian American History, LGBTQ+ History, and Disability History. These new mandates were some of the first in the country to require inclusive history, covering a broad range of perspectives, that has historically been excluded from the school curriculum.
Dr. Wilson also discussed educational futures surrounding the bill. He outlined collaborations with partners who center equity and have the capacities to lead this. The moments we are in, and the current context, call for movements that center justice. Lastly, he called for sustained work to accomplish the goals the ambitious legislation set forward in 2021, and called upon policymakers to invest more.
