On January 19, Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis declared that he would not allow high schools throughout the state to offer an Advanced Placement African American Studies course. The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) also claimed in a letter to the College Board that “the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.” The FDOE then stated that they would be willing to reopen the discussion in the future if the College Board returns “with lawful, historically accurate content.”
The problem with this, however, is that the content is not historically inaccurate. The program had already been properly vetted when the College Board launched the pilot program last year. The backlash against the class is, instead, because it teaches about reparations, Black feminism, the Black Panther Party, Black queer studies, and other aspects of Black life and history that many states, especially Florida, do not want taught in K-12 schools.
Lessons in these topics get erroneously labeled as subversive, or as “critical race theory,” because they confront the systemic oppression of Black people in America. They also teach how the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and other identities exacerbate these oppressions.
Justification for the statewide ban stems from two state bills passed in 2022: HB 1557, which has been dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, and HB 7, known as the “Stop WOKE Act,” which has “already interfered with the ability of students to obtain true and accurate information about the history of their society,” according to an amicus brief filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Additionally, as Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers explained, critical race theory is not taught in K-12 schools. “It’s a method of examination taught in law school and college that helps analyze whether systemic racism exists,” Weingarten said, “and, in particular, whether it has an effect on law and public policy.” Meanwhile, the chilling effect of DeSantis’s “anti-woke” crackdown is already being felt in public schools. As Hillsborough County School Board member Jessica Vaughn put it, “I mean, aside from the erosion of traditional public education, it just feels like there’s an erosion of democracy.”
This insistence on mislabeling coursework that teaches about African Americans is deliberate and deceptive. Its intent is to purposely create fear and dissonance among parents, stirring up unfounded controversy. It is akin to the war that Donald Trump waged on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’s 1619 Project—during which he pushed for an alternate “patriotic education” that he wants students to be indoctrinated with rather than have them learn how the enslavement of Black people contributed to the prosperity of this country.
Politicizing Black existence and marginalizing Black lives is par for the course in Florida. In the leadup to the U.S. midterm elections, two state voter suppression laws, SB 90 and SB 524, targeted Black voters. Additionally, the implementation of an elections task force in 2022 to fight against supposed voter fraud was used to intimidate Black voters.
Florida’s housing crisis is disproportionately affecting Black and brown families due to the racial wage and wealth gap that exists. Anti-abortion laws in various states, including Florida, threaten the lives of Black and brown women more severely than others. As CNN reports, “The threat to abortion access has underscored the economic hardships and maternal health crisis that Black and brown women face.”
There is also the controversial constitutional carry bill. Although it died in legislative subcommittee when proposed in 2020 and 2022, it is expected to pass in 2023. The bill would give Floridians the right to carry a concealed weapon without a license, even though there is racial bias in Florida’s justifiable use of force statutes, which allow people like George Zimmerman to escape punishment for murder by claiming they acted in self-defense.
What is occurring in Florida and other states stems in part from the racial hatred espoused by the “Great Replacement Theory.” According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the theory hinges on “stoking fears that a non-white population…will displace a white majority.” Although this brand of propaganda has existed since slavery was abolished, its pervasiveness has increased in recent years, and has systemically and systematically targeted African Americans through various means, including the education system.
The insidiousness of Ron DeSantis’ rejection of this course has caused anger and resentment from many across the nation. Numerous organizations have spoken out and rallied against his latest attack against Black lives. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is threatening to sue Ron DeSantis in addition to a group of Florida high school students.
Teaching factual American history and African American Studies through an age-appropriate curriculum does not discriminate against white people. It will not indoctrinate children or damage their psyches, nor does it blame all white people for past atrocities this country inflicted upon Black people. It simply gives a historically accurate account of the past while highlighting the many contributions and lived experiences of African Americans, which will help us build a more equitable society in the present and make the ideals of “liberty and justice for all” more real.