New legislation introduced Wednesday would revise Florida’s curriculum on African American history, requiring schools to teach students about the Democratic Party’s historical support for slavery. The bill, titled the “Kamala Harris Truth in Slavery Teaching Act,” appears to be a shot at the Vice President, who visited Jacksonville last summer to criticize the state’s education standards. The companion bills were introduced by Rep. Kiyan Michael (R-Jacksonville) and Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill).
If passed, House Bill 1139 would amend Florida teaching standards to include “…a comprehensive account of the sociopolitical circumstances surrounding slavery, including which political parties supported slavery by adopting pro-slavery tenets to their party platform;”
In a statement, Rep. Michael said he was motivated to introduce the bill after being raised without knowing the Democrat Party’s history,
“Like most Black Americans, I was raised never knowing the truth that the Democrat Party was the party of fighting for, and keeping slavery, and the reason for the formation of the Republican Party was to abolish it,” Michael said in a press release. “It is a valuable, yet hidden, piece of our American history. This bill will bring forth these truths and expose the political party’s roles regarding the heinous institution of slavery.”
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The “Kamala Harris Truth in Slavery Teaching Act” follows comments made by the Vice President last summer criticizing Florida’s African American history curriculum.
“Recently, in Jacksonville, Vice President Kamala Harris commented regarding Florida’s African-American history education standards, saying: ‘When we send our children to school, as parents, we want to know that they’re being taught the truth,'” said Sen. Ingoglia, who introduced the companion bill SB 1192. “I wholeheartedly agree.”
“That is why,” he said, “it is vitally important, and historically accurate, to include that the Democrat Party not only fought for the continued abomination that was slavery, but they also adopted pro-slavery resolutions and tenets into their official party platform.”
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Ron DeSantis debunks Kamala Harris' hoax about Florida's education standards on slavery:
"Florida represents the revival of American education. We're ranked number one in the nation in education."
"We didn't just talk about universal school choice. We enacted universal school… pic.twitter.com/CrABvM4vr4
— Never Back Down (@NvrBackDown24) September 28, 2023
Last summer, Harris was widely panned by Florida Republicans for her comments. In July, the Vice President claimed that the Florida Department of Education “want[s] to replace history with lies”
“These extremist, so-called leaders should model what we know to be the correct and right approach if we really are invested in the well being of our children. Instead, they dare to push propaganda to our children. This is the United States of America. We’re not supposed to do that.”
The specific section of the curriculum that Harris took exception to stated,
“…instruction includes how slaves develop skills, which in some instances could be applied for their personal benefit.”
“This was done by black history scholars, most of whom are black themselves,” Governor Ron DeSantis later retorted in a statement. “They are not shilling for slavery. They are showing the injustice of slavery. But that particular passage wasn’t saying that slavery was a benefit. They said there was resourcefulness, and people acquired skills despite slavery, not because of it. And then they used those when they achieved their freedom.”
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