Portrait of Ron DeSantis
Politician · concept
Wikipedia (opens in new tab)

Ron DeSantis on Black History

Contested curriculum steward (strong)

TL;DR

Ron DeSantis staunchly defends Florida's revised Black history standards while rejecting claims that they whitewash historical injustices like slavery.

Key Points

  • The Governor defended the middle school standard stating that slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit, clarifying the intent was not to suggest slavery was a positive good.

  • He blocked the College Board's pilot African American Studies course, asserting it contained material like queer theory and intersectionality that amounted to pushing a political agenda on students.

  • Florida law, amended under his watch, requires African American history instruction but specifies that curriculum must not be used to indoctrinate or persuade students to a view inconsistent with state principles.

Summary

Ron DeSantis has taken a firm stance in defending the African American history standards developed by the Florida Department of Education, particularly against national criticism regarding the description of slavery. He argued that the controversial language stating slaves developed skills they could later benefit from was meant to show resourcefulness "in spite of slavery," not because of it, and that the standards were written by Black history scholars. His administration also banned the pilot Advanced Placement African American Studies course, claiming it promoted political ideology such as queer theory and intersectionality rather than pure education, asserting a commitment to education over indoctrination in Florida classrooms.

This position is part of a broader educational policy agenda in the state, which also involved signing legislation restricting how race can be discussed in K-12 settings. Critics, including political figures and educators, argue the new K-12 standards represent a distortion or erasure of accurate Black history, pointing to the omission of key concepts or the misleading framing of historical trauma. Despite the pushback, which included criticisms from some within his own political party, the Governor has invited detractors to Florida to debate the merits of the standards as written by the scholars he asserts created them.

Key Quotes

“Don't indulge those lies,” he said. “She's saying that those standards that were developed by African American history scholars are somehow saying slavery was a good thing. That's false. That is not what they said.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Ron DeSantis is a strong defender of the state's revised African American history standards, asserting they are accurate and were developed by scholars. He has publicly stated he will stand by the standards against critics who claim certain elements whitewash slavery. His position is that Florida promotes education over indoctrination regarding this subject.

The Governor blocked the AP African American Studies course because his administration deemed it to significantly lack educational value and to push a political agenda. He specifically cited content such as queer theory and intersectionality as examples of this alleged indoctrination. He maintains that Florida is committed to teaching true and accurate Black history.

Yes, he has addressed the controversy, defending the specific benchmark about slaves developing skills. He explained that the context implied resourcefulness in spite of slavery, not because of it, and stressed that the scholars who wrote the standards stand by their work. The Governor has invited critics to discuss the standards with him and the authors.