DeSantis doubles down on his bid to ban African-American studies

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday doubled down on his decision to ban a course on African American studies, saying the class in question contained “queer theory” and imposed a “political agenda” on the state’s children.

He defended his new policy during a news conference in Jacksonville in his first public comments on the controversy, which drew sharp criticism of the Republican governor and was seen as the latest attempt by his conservative administration to criticize and even ban some educational efforts on racism and slavery.

“When you try to use black history to shoehorn queer theory, you are clearly trying to use that for political purposes,” DeSantis said. ‘We want education, not indoctrination.’

‘We want to make history. Those are our standards for Black History. It’s just history cut and dried. You learn all the basics, you learn about the big names, and you know, I look at it as American history. I don’t see it as a separate story,” DeSantis said.

He argued that schools should “focus on math and reading and all the things that are really, really important.”

Florida last week, in a letter to the College Board Florida Partnership, which runs its Advanced Placement (AP) program, said it would not allow high school students to take a new AP class in African American Studies, because it was “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.’

The state offers AP history courses in European History, Art History, Japanese Language and Culture, German Language and Culture, Italian Language and Culture, and Spanish Language and Culture.

White House officials and civil rights leaders criticized DeSantis for the decision.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the first African-American woman to serve in that position, spoke Sunday with Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D) and State Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D), during his visit to the state to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade of the Supreme Court.

She criticized the move.

“Every student in our nation should be able to learn about the culture, contributions and experiences of all Americans, including African Americans, who shaped our history,” Harris told lawmakers, according to a White House official.

“Unfortunately, in Florida, so-called extremist leaders are banning books, blocking history classes and preventing teachers from freely discussing who they are and who they love,” Harris added. ‘Anyone who prohibits the teaching of American history has no right to shape the future of America.’

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday called the governor’s decision “incomprehensible.”

“The administration does not dictate any curriculum for local schools,” he said. ‘That’s not something we do here.’

But, he added, it is “incomprehensible” that DeSantis would introduce this ban.

Martin Luther King Jr. III weighed in on Twitter, saying: “The state of Florida will allow AP European and US studies, but AP African American studies are ‘contrary to Florida law.’ Please explain how this is not blatantly racist. Floridians deserve a clear answer.’

Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (right) were among White House officials who criticized DeSantis.

Florida is one of several states that have banned public schools from teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT), an academic framework that teaches that “racism is more than the result of individual bias and bias.” It is embedded in laws, policies and institutions that defend and reproduce racial inequalities’, according to the NAACP. Some conservatives view this teaching as inaccurate and harmful.

In a separate move this week, the presidents of Florida’s state university system said they would not provide funding for courses or activities that “compel” belief in Critical Race Theory, without pointing to any specific programs that would.

The African American Studies Advanced Placement course is new to the College Board. The curriculum was developed through a pilot program this year in 60 high schools.

It was then supposed to be tested in hundreds of additional schools, before schools across the country began offering the program in the 2024-25 school year, with the first AP exam to be administered in the spring of 2025.

The program includes a portion written by CRT advocate and legal expert Kimberlé Crenshaw that has students analyze intersectional discrimination through overlapping racial and gender identities.

The students would also study and analyze speeches made by Malcolm X and members of the Black Panther Party, according to Time magazine.

DeSantis is said to be considering a 2024 presidential run, but has not made any formal announcements. However, he has outlined his vision of the state, which he calls a place where “he who wakes up goes to die”.