McGraw-Hill to Rewrite Textbook Passage Amid Backlash Over Slavery Language

A Texas mother's Facebook post sparked a heated debate and eventual changes to a McGraw-Hill textbook after she took issue with the wording of a passage that referred to African slaves as "workers" and "immigrants." Roni Dean-Burren's post, which has gathered over 1.4 million page views, criticized the passage's characterization of slavery as a "forced migration" instead of acknowledging the brutal reality of kidnapping and enslavement.

Key Takeaways:

• McGraw-Hill will rewrite a section in its "World Geography" textbook after a Houston-area mother complained that it whitewashes the role of slavery in bringing Africans to America.
• The original passage referred to African slaves as "workers" and "immigrants," sparking widespread criticism and calls for change.
• McGraw-Hill reviewed the section and concluded that the wording doesn't meet its standards, deciding to update the caption to describe the arrival of African slaves as a forced migration and emphasize that their work was done as slave labor.
• The changes will appear in the online version of the book immediately and will be included in the book's next printing.
• Some critics argue that the changes don't go far enough, asking the publisher to recall existing versions of the book and replace copies for schools that can't afford to buy new books.
• The controversy has sparked a larger debate about the portrayal of slavery in textbooks, particularly in Texas where conservative viewpoints have been influencing changes to educational materials.

Statistics:

• Over 1.4 million page views on Facebook for Roni Dean-Burren's video criticizing the textbook passage (as of Sunday).
• The changes to the textbook will affect the online version of the book immediately and will be included in the book's next printing.

Sources:

• McGraw-Hill
• CNN