CV NEWS FEED // Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris inviting her to have an in-person discussion with him about her controversial claims of racism in Florida’s African American history curriculum.
The argument began when Florida instituted new academic standards for social studies classes in July, adding an emphasis on African American history and an objective view of slavery throughout the world, not just in America.
Harris and others blasted the new standards. In particular, she cited a sentence in the curriculum about “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
However, the sentence does not refer specifically to African American slaves in the U.S. In the new curriculum, the topic of slavery covers European slaves, Muslim slave markets, slavery in Asian cultures, and the enslavement of indigenous American peoples. In addition, the sentence Harris cited is nearly identical to language in longstanding curricula approved by the College Board and used in thousands of schools throughout the country.
Nevertheless, Harris denounced Florida’s curriculum as “propaganda” and accused state officials of “replacing history with lies,” according to NBC.
“They dare to push propaganda to our children,” Harris said in a speech in Jacksonville, FL, The Hill reported. “Adults know what slavery really involved. It involved rape. It involved torture. It involved taking a baby from their mother.”
To challenge Harris’ remarks, DeSantis invited her to Florida to discuss the matter.
“In Florida we are unafraid to have an open and honest dialogue about the issues. And you clearly have no trouble ducking down to Florida on short notice,” DeSantis wrote, referencing Harris’ previous last-minute flight to Jacksonville to protest the curriculum.
“So given your grave concern (which, I must assume, is sincere) about what you think our standards say, I am officially inviting you back down to Florida to discuss our African American History standards,” DeSantis wrote.
According to NBC, Harris responded to DeSantis on Tuesday and rejected his invitation, saying that “there is no roundtable, no lecture, no invitation we will accept to debate an undeniable fact: There were no redeeming qualities of slavery.”
In addition to discussing African American history, DeSantis also called out the White House in his letter for “misinforming Americans about our education system.”
“Our state pushed forward nation-leading standalone African American History standards—one of the only states in the nation to require this level of learning about such an important subject,” he wrote:
One would think that the White House would applaud such boldness in teaching the unique and important story of African American History. But you have instead attempted to score cheap political points and label Florida parents “extremists.”
