Seattle School District introduces textbook stressing the role of racial minorities in American history on September 23, 1968.

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On September 23, 1968, the Seattle School District introduces, The Role of Racial Minorities in the United States. The book aims to correct general ignorance about how people of color participated in and contributed to American Society.

The book was authored by teachers Marjorie Jefferson and Kenji Onichi and art assistant Delmar Nordquist. Alice Shimondel coordinated the writing, which included annotations and documentation of sources. It was funded with $10,000 from city and federal funds. The book was prepared specifically for the Seattle School District's desegregation program.

Points developed in the book included the fact that an African American was the first to die in The Boston Massacre of 1770, and that 2,000 African Americans fought in the American Revolution.

Seattle School Superintendent Dr. Forbes Bottomly said, "It is just a beginning, but it should be used by all teachers to supplement and correct the inadequacies of present courses and texts in recognition of the contributions of persons of all minority races."

Sources:
John deYonge, "City Teachers Get Textbook On Minorities," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 24, 1968, p. 1, 11.

By Dave Wilma, September 25, 2001

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