Over the last year, I felt as if I had reached an impasse in my life. I likened my life to a sturdy tree, one built on the roots of…

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The 30 or so people who logged on to hear about the trans-Atlantic slave trade Wednesday night was just what Pastor Kenneth Johnson had hoped for – a sign that his congregation in Fort Pierce, Florida, was interested in learning more about Black history.

The hour-long video class was the first of a series Friendship Missionary Baptist Church plans to host this fall.

“It wasn’t a sermon. It would have passed any muster as a legitimate class,” said Johnson. “We don’t need government approval to teach our history.”

Friendship Missionary is among the more than 200 mostly Black churches in Florida taking steps to teach Black history in part because of what faith leaders call the restricted and “watered-down’’ versions schools must teach under the state’s new policies. Instead, pastors equipped with a new Black history toolkit are teaching unfiltered lessons during Sunday school, Bible Study or as part of sermons.

Faith in Florida, a coalition of churches advocating for social justice causes, created the online toolkit, which includes books, documentaries and videos related to Black history. The project, launched in July, aims to push back against state efforts to regulate Black history lessons. Florida is one of several states where mostly conservative lawmakers are leading movements to restrict some teachings of Black history.

“We have a responsibility as a whole to make sure our history is not erased or watered down and that it be told,’’ said Rhonda Thomas, executive director of Faith in Florida. “It happened. It’s history.’’

This is not a new role for Black churches, which have long filled education gaps in their communities, historians said. But many said these lessons are needed now as much as ever.

“It’s not farfetched to think that a (Black) church is going to be able to provide educational opportunities where they see public institutions failing,’’ Howard Robinson, a historian at Alabama State University in Montgomery, said.

Black history is under attack across US from AP African American Studies to ‘Ruby Bridges’

Read more:Black history is under attack across US from AP African American Studies to ‘Ruby Bridges’

What DeSantis said about Black history, slavery

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has led efforts across the state to embrace policies that restrict how certain topics, including race, sexuality and gender, are taught in schools and colleges.

Earlier in the year, DeSantis signed legislation that banned the use of state funds to support diversity and inclusion programs at public universities. “This has basically been used as a veneer to impose an ideological agenda and that is wrong,” he said in May.

Florida also banned the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies course. Advanced placement studies are college-level courses taught to high school students who can often earn college credit. State officials have said African American history is already taught in schools. They’ve said some of the course material violates state law and take issue with the inclusion of lessons on the Black Lives Matter social justice movement, Black feminism and reparations.

DeSantis’ office referred USA Today to the Florida Department of Education for further comment. The department did not immediately respond.

In July, the state Board of Education adopted social studies standards for teaching African American history to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Supporters said the standards include factual information, but critics argue the standards omit important parts of history, including the state’s role in slavery and the disenfranchisement of Black people and violent attacks against them. Civil rights and faith leaders also criticized language that said slaves developed skills that could be used for their personal benefit.

DeSantis, who is running for president in 2024, has defended the curriculum.

“They’re probably going to show that some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into doing things later in life,” he said in July.

The Rev. Gaston Smith, pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, said he was offended by DeSantis’ remarks. “If anybody benefitted from slavery, America benefitted from slavery,” he said.

‘It’s not just a Florida problem’

Smith spent last week in Bible study not only teaching from the Acts of the Apostles, but also about the struggles LaVon Bracy faced when she integrated Gainesville High School in the 1960s and became the first African American student to graduate from there.

He also turned to the toolkit for help and intentionally started with the topic of injustices because of the debate over race issues in Florida.

Smith and other pastors said they’re using the toolkit as a guide to map out lesson plans. The toolkit has about a dozen topics, including from “Africa to America,” which focuses in part on the slave trade, and “Racial Terrorism and Civil Unrest,” which includes works about the Civil Rights Movement. It offers recommendations for Black history books, videos, documentaries and other resources.

Smith, who taught about 100 churchgoers last week, hopes to also reach others through virtual services and other platforms. He said he’s disappointed state officials restricted what educators can teach about Black history.

“We can’t dwell on the fact of what they say we can’t do,” he said. “If nowhere else, the children will get it in church.”

Tony F. Drayton, lead pastor of St. James Church in Riviera, near West Palm Beach, said it’s on more faith leaders and community leaders to teach African American history.

“We have such a captive audience,” said Drayton, who helped develop the toolkit. “From the pulpit, we have to be as woke as possible. I’m going to use that word intentionally.’’

The toolkit aims to help those new to Black history, as well as those well versed in it. Topics were chosen in part based on chronology and the importance of issues, such as criminal justice and Black women’s leadership.

Drayton stressed it’s not a curriculum, but a guide to resources and that the toolkit will continue to be updated.

Thomas said she’s also heard from faith leaders of mostly white churches interested in the toolkit. She’s also getting calls from faith leaders in states like Alabama, Georgia and Virginia.

“It’s not just a Florida problem,’’ she said.

And if educators cannot teach it, “then we will go back to where it started,’’ said Thomas. “Our churches will teach our own history.”

Black churches teach Black history, civil rights

The church has long served as the hub of civic engagement in Black communities.  It was often faith leaders who led protests and helped set up Freedom Schools during the Civil Rights Movement. In the schools, students, many of them adults, were taught to read and recite parts of the state Constitution, which was sometimes required to register to vote. The tactic was used to turn away Black citizens, who were not allowed to read during slavery.

The Black church still provides space and human resources, including teachers, to help with education, Robinson said. “The church is going to pull a whole cross-section of the Black community into its sphere so you’re going to have an expertise in the church that you’re not going to have in some other institutions,’’ he said.

Many Black colleges also have their origins in the Black church, including Alabama State University.

“The tradition of self-help is central to the Black experience,’’ Robinson said. “This is a present manifestation of it because of what’s happening in Florida.”

Khalil Gibran Muhammad, a history professor at Harvard University in Massachusetts, said Black communities have a long tradition of teaching the truth about their past because “the freedom to learn has always been subject to legal and physical attacks.’’

“In the tradition of Freedom Schools and Black resistance to Jim Crow, Black students will benefit from what these churches will teach them,’’ he said. “It’s really a matter of life or death.’’

Muhammad said other students should also be taught the lessons. “The problem is that white, Latinx and Asian American students need to learn the truth of African American history too,’’ he said.

Some worry about history repeating

At Johnson’s church in Fort Pierce, members can join the Black history class Wednesdays via Zoom. The church also plans to air sessions on its Facebook page. The next series will focus on Black women.

“Even the governor is welcome to attend,” Johnson said.

“I find it kind of disrespectful and even condescending to have our governor or anyone tell us what we’re allowed to learn…History is history,’’ he said. “I know it can be tainted by those who write it, but if we’re going to be who we’re called to be we have to know what we’ve been.’’

During a sermon last month at New Generation Missionary Baptist, Thomas focused on Black history in South Florida sharing how a community once called Colored Town was later changed to Overtown.

It was there in the heart of Miami that Black residents could see Black celebrities who were in town to perform at whites-only venues. The community – a mecca of Black culture – was devastated after the state built a highway through it.

“I want to make a point that history is not that far from where we are now,’’ Thomas said. “And if we’re not careful, it will repeat itself.”

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“Today is a great day for our service members and our nation,” Teri and Patrick Caserta — the parents behind The Brandon Act — exclusively tell PEOPLE

Courtesy Teri Caserta Teri and Patrick Caserta

The U.S. will soon enact The Brandon Act’s mental health measures to prevent suicide in the military — and the parents behind the law tell PEOPLE exclusively that their late son’s legacy will “forever live on” in the new policies.

Sitting in their Peoria, Arizona, home, Patrick and Teri Caserta frequently glance at their hutch holding the remains of their only child, Brandon.

Brandon, an aviation electrician third class, died by suicide on June 25, 2018, on the flight line at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. After his death at age 21, his parents and friends discovered six notes in which Brandon explained he was hazed and bullied by members and leaders of his Navy helicopter squadron.

After five years of lobbying for confidential military mental health benefits, the Casertas are grateful the Pentagon will announce the enacted measures on Friday, May 5. It will allow others with mental health issues like Brandon to receive help without retaliation, reprimand or going through their chain of command.

“Today is a great day for our service members and our nation to know that DoD has signed The Brandon Act into implementation,” the couple tells PEOPLE.

“Brandon’s legacy of saving lives will forever live on through The Brandon Act and The Brandon Caserta Foundation. We are losing far too many to suicide. Suicide is tragic and senseless. It is 100% preventable. This allows our military force to be stronger and more mentally fit,” adds the couple.

Courtesy Teri Caserta Brandon Caserta

The Brandon Act protects all levels of military personnel and ranks. Service members can invoke The Brandon Act for any issue they may struggle with and encounter, the Casertas said. That includes depression, anxiety, sexual assault/harassment, retaliation, bullying, hazing, toxic and abusive leadership, abusive power, any type of discrimination, disability, gambling and alcohol issues.

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As soon as service members self-report, they will undergo a mental health evaluation. It requires the U.S. Department of Defense to provide annual training on how to recognize when members may need a mental health evaluation.

Related:Navy Veteran Launches Organization to Provide Suicide Intervention Training for Families

Courtesy Teri Caserta Brandon and Patrick Caserta

“Taking care of our people remains a priority for leaders in the Department of Defense and the Department is committed to making lasting, substantial change to improve mental health and address suicide,” Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, tells PEOPLE in a statement.

“We are diligently working to implement National Defense Authorization Act Fiscal Year 2022 legislation (Section 704), known as the Brandon Act. Once implemented, service members will be able to request a mental health evaluation for any basis, by initiating a referral through a commanding officer or supervisor,” adds the official. “The new process will require the commander or supervisor to refer the service member to mental health provider and protect the confidentiality of the service member to the maximum extent practicable in accordance with applicable laws and DoD policy.”

Adds Martinez-Lopez: “As the Department continues to work to reduce mental health stigma and encourage help seeking, we want to reinforce that there is a full continuum of mental health and wellness support available worldwide. There are specialty and primary care clinics, embedded behavioral health providers within units, and virtual health platforms.”

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U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) announced Dec. 15, 2021, that the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act that included the Brandon Act.

“For months, I worked with Republicans and Democrats to get the language of the Brandon Act in the defense bill,” Kelly said in a statement at the time.

“Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Teri and Patrick Caserta, and bipartisan support in Congress, our efforts will help us confront military suicide head-on and save the lives of other young service members,” Kelly continued.

Courtesy Teri Caserta Patrick and Teri Caserta

Moulton, the bill’s author, added. “America’s service members shouldn’t have to settle for a broken system that’s incapable of providing them with the mental health support they need, and today’s vote means they no longer have to. This bill is an important piece of Brandon’s legacy — one that will save the lives of so many great American heroes. I’m proud of his parents for fighting to make sure that families of other service members never have to share their experience, and I look forward to continuing to do this work alongside them.”

Related:How to Recognize When a Loved One May Be Considering Suicide, and the Best Ways to Help

According to the 2021 DoD annual report on suicide in the military, 519 service members died by suicide with “young, enlisted male service members found to be at greatest risk.”

The report showed suicide rates for active service members have increased since 2011, although 2021 was lower than 2020. Firearms were the primary method of suicide deaths.

Courtesy Teri Caserta Teri and Brandon Caserta

In addition to having a “great personality,” Teri says her son was “funny, very kind and very generous.”

That makes The Brandon Act the perfect way to honor his legacy. “He really would give the shirt off his back for someone,” she says.

“Here’s a cute little story,” she recalls. “When Brandon started all-day school, we had to set up an account so he could buy his lunch. We noticed that it was dwindling quite fast.”

Courtesy Teri Caserta

His parents asked if he was eating two lunches. Brandon wasn’t — he was purchasing meals for less fortunate kids. Teri told him to continue, which he did through high school.

“He would help anybody who was struggling, whether it was mentally or academically or even with extracurricular activities like track and football,” she says. “He did have the biggest, brightest smile. And he would light up a room when he smiled.”

Related: Parents Who Lost Son to Suicide Ask Strangers to Scatter His Ashes Around the World: ‘This Has Changed Lives’

His decision to join the military caught his parents by surprise. A 22-year retired Navy senior chief, Patrick tried to sway his son’s thoughts, but Brandon was adamant.

“We didn’t know why,” he says. “Then we thought about it. He was in swimming and karate since he was 4. He was in sports year-round, and it made sense.”

Courtesy Teri Caserta Brandon Caserta

Brandon’s goal was to join a police force’s SWAT unit, but he couldn’t do so until he was 21. They said he thought becoming a SEAL would look good on his resume. To support their son, the Casertas bought him a SEAL mask, goggles, fins, snorkel, swimsuit and weightlifting equipment.”

“He wanted this weighted vest that I bought for him,” Patrick says. “I swear, it was like 300 lbs. I still have it and he would run with that on.”

The last time they saw their son was during a visit to Krispy Kreme on the way to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix for Brandon’s return flight. Each of them was in tears.

Courtesy Teri Caserta Brandon Caserta

At work on June 25, 2018, Brandon told a plane captain — over helicopter noise — “I’m sorry for what you are about to see,” ran to the rotating rear tail rotor, jumped, missed and then jumped again and made contact.

“He did this in front of his command and flight line,” Patrick said. In response, they founded the Brandon Caserta Foundation to provide assistance, guidance, education and resources to active-duty service members, veterans and their families.

“We love our military and service members,” Teri said. “That is why we created and lobbied hard for The Brandon Act. We know the Brandon Act along with the other DoD resources will save military lives.”

You can find more information about Brandon Caserta Memorial Scholarship here, and learn more about The Brandon Caserta Foundation here.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.

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