In the midst of mounting controversy, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis defended the state’s new curriculum on Black history which came into effect last week.
The guidelines, approved by the Florida Board of Education, have been met with strong opposition from Florida teachers.
Outlined in a comprehensive 216-page document on Florida’s 2023 social studies standards, published by the Florida Department of Education, the revised curriculum includes instruction on how some Black individuals were able to benefit from slavery by acquiring valuable skills.
This specific aspect of the new guidelines has triggered widespread debate and criticism from educators and education advocates.
Another aspect that has sparked outrage about the revised curriculum involves educating students on incidents where Black individuals were involved in violence during racial conflicts.
Governor DeSantis, while attending an event in Utah on Friday, addressed the issue of slavery being taught in Florida middle schools.
More on Florida’s new black history standards
- Florida Education Board’s approval of new Black History standards sparks criticism
- Vice President Kamala Harris heads to Florida to condemn new Black History standards
Governor DeSantis’ defense and clarifications
Governor DeSantis defended how slavery will now be taught in Florida middle schools. Children will now be taught that enslaved persons picked up skills that they later “parlayed” into profitable crafts after slavery was abolished.
“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,” Mr DeSantis told reporters.
He further stated that he was not personally involved in its development.
“I didn’t do it. I wasn’t involved in it,” he said and asserted that it is rooted in factual information.
He credited “a lot of scholars” with creating “the most robust standards in African American history probably anywhere in the country.”
Vice President Harris’ critique of new Black history standards
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris, who visited Florida on Friday took a strong stance against what she referred to as Governor DeSantis’ “war on woke.”
In a speech delivered in Jacksonville, she criticized the changes made to the public school curriculum in Florida, describing them as a purposeful and intentional effort to mislead children, especially regarding the history of slavery.
Harris passionately emphasized the dark realities of slavery, denouncing any attempt to suggest that there were any benefits to the extreme dehumanization and atrocities inflicted upon enslaved individuals.
Last week’s changes have become the focal point of the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the manner in which Florida public schools should approach the teaching of Black history.
Earlier this year, Florida’s Board of Education rejected a new Advanced Placement high school course centered on African American studies, citing its perceived lack of “educational value”.
This decision ignited widespread protests and incited outrage throughout the country.
