By Matt Bittle

DOVER — Delaware students will soon receive more comprehensive lessons about Black history, after the Senate approved legislation requiring it to be taught in schools.

The bill, which passed the House 33-7 with one abstention in April, was approved 16-5 Thursday and now awaits Gov. John Carney’s signature.

All opposition came from Republicans.

House Bill 198 requires Delaware public schools to incorporate into their regular lessons information about the trials, tribulations and accomplishments of Black people, including African history, the role slavery and White supremacy played in the development of the United States (especially the Civil War), legal segregation after the war and Black contributions to America.

The legislation aims to tackle the history and the impact of racism, “prepare students to be responsible citizens in a pluralistic democracy” and “reaffirm the commitment of free peoples to the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” which outlawed slavery.

An amendment attached to the bill notes that the legislature has typically taken a hands-off approach to what schools should teach, but “including Black History in the curricula is of such importance that the General Assembly has designated Black History as a subject the General Assembly chooses to require school districts and charter schools to include in their curricula.”

Under the measure, the Department of Education will consult with groups like the NAACP, the Africana studies programs at Delaware State University and the University of Delaware, the Delaware Heritage Commission, the Delaware Black Student Coalition, the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and Eastern Shore AFRAM to develop a curriculum.

It is set to take effect in the 2022-23 school year.

The state does already require Black history to be taught, but it is not nearly as thorough as many would like, often being limited to February’s Black History Month.

“An accurate history of our nation and its people must make more than passing references to Black Americans and include a full account of our contributions to this country and its culture, well beyond the context of our subjugation,” Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman, D-Wilmington, said in a statement.

“Black people have been here from the very beginning. Embracing our full history and sharing it with our young people will give them an opportunity to understand the interwoven narratives of all our struggles and triumphs, as painful and ideologically contradictory as they may sometimes feel.”

Several Republicans said they back the concept but cannot support the bill, citing a desire to avoid handing down mandates to school districts.

Sen. Dave Lawson, R-Marydel, questioned whether the bill teaches students to hate White people, and both he and Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Seaford, expressed concerns about Black history lessons containing political agendas.

Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover, pushed back against fears the measure is too divisive, saying it “does not teach kids that one race is better than another race,” while Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, gave an impassioned defense on the chamber floor. Students should be taught about the ugly and shameful side of history, not just the good things, Sen. Lopez told colleagues.

Minority Leader Gerald Hocker, R-Ocean View; Minority Whip Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown; and Sen. Dave Wilson, R-Lincoln, joined Sens. Lawson and Richardson in opposing the measure.

Family caregiver tax credit

Legislation filed Wednesday would establish a tax credit for individuals who care for close family members on a daily basis.

Senate Bill 143 would create a tax credit of up to $2,000 a year that could be applied toward the cost of home improvements required for the care of a family member, the purchase or lease of equipment needed to carry out daily activities or related support services.

It would be available to qualifying family caregivers who earn less than $150,000.

A 2015 report from the Family Caregiving Task Force concluded that almost half of all Delawareans at least 35 years old were currently providing or had previously offered unpaid care to an adult loved one who was ill, elderly or had a physical or mental disability.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 44 would work hand in hand with the bill, creating a 16-member Aging-In-Place Working Group charged with developing a plan to improve the infrastructure of home- and community-based services throughout Delaware. The panel, which would be made up of legislators, representatives from several senior-focused organizations and members of the public, would deliver a report by March 30, 2022.

“As someone who is caring for an elderly parent, I know first-hand about the stress that comes with it plus how difficult and expensive it can be to juggle their household bills and the financial burden that comes with caring for an aging family member, regardless of whether they live alone, with a family member or in a long-term care facility,” Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, D-Elsmere, said in a statement.

“I also know we can do more to support the desire of most seniors to stay in their own homes and their own communities for as long as they can. My hope is these measures will help make it a little easier for our neighbors while also giving them some assurance that we are committed to promoting the health and well-being of both our senior citizens, the families who love them, and their caregivers.”