Florida Approves Controversial African American History Standards

TALLAHASSEE  On Wednesday, the Florida Board of Education approved African American history standards that received immediate backlash for avoiding many elements of slavery and even suggesting it was in some ways beneficial to African Americans.

A 1994 Florida statute inspired by efforts to bury the state's 1923 Rosewood massacre requires schools to teach African American history. However, as part of his so-called ""war on woke,"" Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has worked to weaken the statute through legislation that restricts certain conversations regarding race in schools. This includes a mandate that students not feel guilt over past actions of people of the same race.

As a result, the new curriculum standards highlight the historical accomplishments of African Americans but much less regarding their struggles, which critics say tells only half of the story. The most controversial element of the curriculum regarded a benchmark for middle school which reads as follows:

""Benchmark Clarifications: Clarification 1: Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.""

Paul Burns, Chancellor of K-12 public schools, who is himself black, defended the standards while denying that they present slavery as beneficial. Burns claimed they were ""factual, objective standards that really teach the good, the bad, and the ugly.""

A letter in opposition to the standards signed by the Florida Education Association, the Florida chapter of the NAACP, The Black History Project, and Equal Ground was sent to the board ahead of the meeting.