On Wednesday, KFOR reported that Juneteenth will soon be taught in Oklahoma public schools. While many people are basically like, "it's about damn time," others are still confused. So, for those of you who learned a really white-washed version of history from Oklahoma public schools, here's what KFOR had to say:
TULSA, Okla. – A celebration that marks the end of slavery will now be taught in Oklahoma schools.
The Juneteenth holiday celebration started when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and began spreading the news that slavery had ended.
Now, this part of history will be part of Social Studies curriculum for Oklahoma students. This year also marks the first time students were taught about the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and Black Wall Street.
“Instead of just knowing about gang violence and those types of things, we need to know about the prideful and positive things that have added to our economy,” Sen. Kevin Matthews told KJRH.
Sen. Matthews, who co-authored the bill that allows the teaching of Juneteenth, says it is important for students to learn the truth about American history, whether it is good or bad.