According the Texas Freedom Network’s blog, it looks like David Barton has changed his mind about whether or not to include multicultural voices in the Texas Social Studies standards. In yesterday’s meeting it appears that Barton and Peter Marshall completely backed down from their original recommendation to remove Thurgood Marshall and Cesar Chavez from the list of people Texas schoolchildren should learn about in their history classes. No word yet on whether they changed their minds about Anne Hutchinson.
I noticed that Daniel Driesbach, the American University politics professor who served as one of the expert reviewers for the Board, did not testify yesterday. Does anyone know why?
Here is the latest from the TFN blog:
David Barton and Peter Marshall were in full retreat from their calls over the summer to remove Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall from the social studies standards. When questioned today by state board members, the two claimed they had never really wanted to blacklist the two famous civil rights leaders. Oh no, they simply thought that Chavez and Marshall had been misplaced in the standards. By suggesting that discussion of Chavez be moved elsewhere, for example, Barton even claimed he was trying to make room for more minorities. Marshall protested that he had only wanted to make sure that the two were discussed in their proper context.
As the TFN blog notes, Barton and Marshall’s reports were much more political and harsh toward minorities than their public presentations yesterday seemed to be. (See my thoughts on these reports here).
It also looks like Barton suggested that MORE multicultural figures need to be included in the standards. WOW!
TFN is doing a great job of keeping us up to date on the proceedings, but they are, admittedly, covering this from a liberal, anti-Christian Right perspective. I would encourage readers to watch the proceedings for themselves, if they ever become available on-line. In the meantime, does anyone know if any conservative or Christian right bloggers or websites are covering the proceedings as extensively as TFN?
RECOMMENDED READING
In a sermon on “defending truth,” Tim Barton makes multiple false claims 
David Barton spreads blatant falsehoods about the AP US History course, state history standards, and a bunch of other stuff. 
David Barton’s son talks slavery and Black history with sportswriter Jason Whitlock. It is a train wreck.
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