California law calls for schools to teach about the significance of Obama’s election

President Obama boards Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on Tuesday, on his way to Charlotte, N.C., to speak about veterans’ issues at the American Legion’s 96th National Convention. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

California textbooks will teach about the significance of President Obama’s election under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown (D).

The measure, AB 1912, requires the California Instructional Quality Commission to consider including instruction on Obama’s election during its next revision of history-social science curriculum. This curriculum hasn’t been updated in nine years, the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Chris Holden (D), said in a statement, and will not be updated until the 2015-2016 school year.

“We want to make sure that future generations understand that the election of our nation’s first African American president was a historic step in the effort towards equality and that previous elections involved intimidation and violence that prevented millions of African Americans from voting,” Holden said.

Holden’s office said the measure is “the first step toward acknowledging President Obama’s legacy for generations to come” and allows Obama to “take his rightful place in California textbooks.”

The measure passed in the California Assembly earlier this month on a 76-1 vote.