(The Center Square) – Colorado is looking to expand its requirements for teaching Black history in the state’s public elementary and secondary schools, including charter schools.
Last week, House Bill 25-1149 passed its first hurdle of the Colorado General Assembly by advancing from the House Education Committee to the House Appropriations Committee.
The bill, titled “Comprehensive Black History and Culture Education in K-12,” will require the Colorado Board of Education to adopt standards “related to Black historical and cultural studies.”
Under the proposed legislation, those standards must:
• Represent “Black historical experiences through truthful, inclusive, complex narratives that connect with contemporary realities.”
• Highlight the “innovations and cultural contributions of Black people in Colorado, America, and the world.”
It will also establish a 17-members Black Historical and Cultural Studies Advisory Committee, which will provide recommendations to the Board of Education. Under the legislation, those recommendations must provide instruction in areas such as:
• “The struggles and contributions of Black Americans in all fields.”
• “Black agency and resistance against oppression.”
State Rep. Regina English, D-Colorado Springs, sponsored the bill in the House.
“This bill is not just adding a subject to the curriculum, it is about shaping the minds and hearts of our students, ensuring they grow into well-rounded individuals who understand and appreciate the diverse society in which they live,” she explained during committee testimony. “For far too long, the contributions, struggles and triumphs of Black Americans have been either omitted or minimized in our history books …
“By passing House Bill 25-1149, we can correct this oversight and ensure that all students, regardless of race, are exposed to a truthful and comprehensive account of our collective past,” English said.
The committee passed three amendments to the bill as it was originally proposed, all of which provided clarifications and edits to various aspects of the bill.
The bill passed 8-5, on a party-line vote. Republicans on the committee highlighted concerns with the legislation, namely that Black history is already taught in Colorado’s schools.
“I appreciate the spirit in which it’s coming,” said state Rep. Lori Garcia Sander, R-Eaton. “I’m just looking at our standards, (they’re only from 2022) and everything that is requested is in here.”
During public testimony, many testified in support of the bill, including organizations such as the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, Denver Public Schools and the NAACP.
“It’s so heartbreaking and disturbing to me to know in 2025 we still have to fight for our rights to be seen and heard,” said Stephanie Mason, a board member of the Black Parents Network.
Not everyone was in support, though. Both the Charter Advocacy Coalition and the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network expressed concerns with the bill.
“This is 100% a curriculum mandate,” said Sarah Hunt, president of the Charter Advocacy Coalition. Hunt testified requesting an amendment to the legislation exempting charter schools from the standards being “inappropriately … mandated.”
Lori Gimelshteyn of the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network raised additional concerns.
“Black history is American history, and it’s already included … in Colorado’s curriculum,” Gimelshteyn said. “Testimony today that Black history is not taught ignores these existing requirements, and I’m concerned that forcing schools to adopt an ideological framework … really crosses the line into political messaging.”
If passed, the Board of Education must adopt the standards by July 1, 2026. Schools will then have until the 2028-2029 school year to incorporate the standards into courses for public elementary and secondary school students in the state.