Florida: Ron DeSantis Fires Back at Kamala Harris' 'Hoax' Over Black History Curriculum

Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, defended his state's controversial updated Florida Black history curriculum during the second GOP debate.

He criticized what he called a "hoax" perpetuated by Kamala Harris regarding the new educational standards, according to The Hill.

Ron DeSantis dismissed the backlash over Florida's curriculum, which includes content suggesting that slavery had some benefits.

DeSantis emphasized that the curriculum was developed by descendants of slaves and Black history scholars.

He stated that it is crucial to stop playing political games in education. According to him, the decline in the country's education system is due to a focus on indoctrination and a denial of parental rights. DeSantis sees Florida as a leader in revitalizing American education.

The contentious part of the curriculum centers on a benchmark clarification, which states that "instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit."

Sen. Tim Scott Hits Ron DeSantis Over Florida Black History Curriculum

Senator Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, criticized Ron DeSantis during the GOP debate for his comments on the controversial Florida Black history curriculum, per The Messenger.

Scott strongly opposed the notion that some African Americans derived "personal benefit" from slavery, asserting that there is no redeeming quality in slavery.

He suggested that DeSantis should have removed that sentence from the curriculum. DeSantis, on the other hand, defended Florida's education standards, claiming that the state was setting an example for others.

The GOP debate featured seven candidates vying for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election, Fox Business noted.

The event included intense moments, such as a dispute between businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Scott concerning the latter's previous business partnership with a Chinese Communist Party-linked firm.

Florida Black History Curriculum

The Florida Black History Curriculum, which stirred controversy, was adopted by the state Board of Education in July, said USA TODAY.

It sets social studies standards for teaching African-American history to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Supporters argue that the standards provide factual information, but critics contend that they omit crucial aspects of history, including the state's involvement in slavery, the disenfranchisement of Black people, and violent attacks against them.

Civil rights and faith leaders also took issue with the language, suggesting that slaves developed skills for personal benefit. Governor DeSantis, who is running for president in 2024, stood by the curriculum and even suggested that it might highlight how some individuals who were blacksmiths during slavery later achieved success in life.

The Rev. Gaston Smith, pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, expressed offense at DeSantis' remarks, asserting that if anyone benefited from slavery, it was America as a whole.

In response to the state's new policies, more than 200 predominantly Black churches in Florida, including Friendship Missionary, have undertaken initiatives to teach unfiltered Black history lessons.

They are using a Black history toolkit created by Faith in Florida, a coalition of churches advocating for social justice causes.

This toolkit includes books, documentaries, and videos related to Black history and aims to counter state efforts to regulate Black history instruction.

Florida is one of several states where conservative lawmakers are leading movements to restrict some aspects of Black history education.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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