Liberals across the nation are attacking Gov. Ron DeSantis for being racist and opposing the teaching of African-American history after Florida rejected a new AP African American Studies course for high school. What they don’t tell you is what is actually covered in the course, and that it includes sections such as ‘Black Queer Studies.’ Progressives say DeSantis is trying to ‘whitewash’ history but what they really want is the power to be able to influence young people with their far-left ideology. DeSantis does not object to the teaching of African American history and critics make it seem as though the 13th Amendment or abolition are about to be thrown out of the curriculum. What Florida does not want is a woke, critical race theory pushing course where Black Lives Matter is presented as a hero. This course belongs at the university level instead of the public K-12 system.
The course has not been released publicly yet but inside reports say it pushes the writings of far left authors like Robin D. G. Kelley and Michelle Alexander. The curriculum also explains its “Black Queer Studies” topic, “explores the concept of queer color critique, grounded in Black feminism and intersectionality, as a Black studies lens that shifts sexuality studies towards racial analysis.”
In recent days DeSantis has doubled down on the decision to block the course, saying, “In the state of Florida, our education standards not only don’t prevent but they require teaching Black history, all the important things. That’s part of our core curriculum.” “This was a separate course on top of that for Advanced Placement credit, and the issue is we have guidelines and standards in Florida. We want education, not indoctrination. If you fall on the side of indoctrination, we’re going to decline. If it’s education, then we will do it.” he added.
DeSantis also addressed specifics of the curriculum, “What’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now, who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids. And so when you look to see they have stuff about intersectionality, abolishing prisons, that’s a political agenda.”
Florida’s Stop WOKE Act actually mandates the teaching of topics in the history of black Americans, from slavery, racial oppression, racial segregation, and racial discrimination, to the overcoming of these injustices, and more.
