The new Florida curriculum changes for Black history present a warped reality. Florida’s Board of Education approved curriculum changes in order to teach that slavery had certain benefits to slaves, such as middle school students being required to learn that slaves “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” However, the Florida standards go even beyond these problematic claims. The standards not only give credit to slaveholders, they change the entire concept of slavery. The state is altering curricula to normalize slavery and make it seem as though it was inevitable. A reason for the white-washing and inaccurate representation of history is that far-right lawmakers have been pushing that teaching Black history makes white people feel ashamed.   

  

Similarly, the Florida Department of Education has approved PragerU, a conservative “resource” for schools to be used in classrooms. The CEO of PragerU reports that “America's education system has been hijacked by one side,” and asks “How are we going to have great teachers, if the teachers themselves are basically held hostage to one ideology?” Content from PragerU questions climate change, emphasizes how to embrace your masculinity and femininity, and explains “how to be a rational patriot.” In one video, the organization even shows an inaccurate depiction of Fredrick Douglass stating that slavery was a necessary compromise to achieve the making of the United States.   

  

While Florida leadership has faced extreme criticism for these standards, they’ve failed to appropriately defend the changes. On August 10th, a town hall was held in the state of Florida to discuss the new educational standards on Black history.  Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz had promised to attend the event but did not show up. Fedrick Ingram, the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, addressed the hundreds of policymakers, teachers, and parents in attendance, saying that “Manny Diaz is a coward. Ron DeSantis knew that this was going on. Manny Diaz knew that this was going on, and they both know how important this is for the Black community. They know they should’ve been here tonight to face you.” Manny Diaz neglecting to even inform the public of his absence shows the disregard for the concerns of the Black community. It also shows us that the public is fighting back, and that Florida leadership will not be able to ignore this backlash for much longer.   

Florida: In Florida, parents are refusing to let Moms for Liberty have the final say in the fight over book bans. Moms for Libros was formed as a response to Florida “taking away children's rights to learn a complete history or have a complete education,” according to co-founder Lissette Fernandez. Moms for Libros — which means Moms for Books — uses both Spanish and English to encourage parents to fight back. Moms for Libros encouraged parents to apply for slots on committees that will assess social studies textbooks. Their efforts ensure that the voices of a broad range of parents will be represented, rather than just far-right extremists hoping to censor important topics.  

  

Texas: In Texas, parents gathered to fight against banning the book “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.” The Round Rock Black Parents Association had a crucial role in ensuring that the book remained in the school curriculum. The parents’ association organized groups such as “ACT Anti-racists Coming Together” to fight against the white-washing of history. The parents emphasized that many book bans come from the desires of white families. One parent said “It’s ironic when white parents say, ‘Teaching this is going to make my kid feel bad,’ when not teaching this is going to make our kids feel bad.” In response to these efforts, the Round Rock Texas Board of Trustees struck down the efforts to ban “Stamped.”

Red, Wine, and Blue, a group that promotes community organizing among women, advocates against far-right extremism in education. The organization recently had to beat back an alt-right fake newsletter that spread misleading information about their group as well as about Ohio’s August 8th special election. Red, Wine, and Blue’s troublemaker resource guide includes recorded trainings about fighting back against book bans, supporting LGBTQ+ youth, and information on extremist groups like Moms for Liberty.  On September 5th, they are holding a virtual webinar titled “The Momentum Towards 2024 - How We Build Power” with Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign.  

  

Book publisher Penguin Random House is speaking out against book bans. The company offers a banned book resource hub featuring an informative video on what parents need to know about book bans and fighting back.

What’s With All the Education News Out of Florida? A Recap of Education Policy Decisions | Education Week | August 16th, 2023.  

 

Videos by PragerU, a conservative media company, can be played in Florida classrooms | NPR | August 11th 2023.  

 

Moms for Liberty Recruits a New Class of Aggrieved Mothers | The New Republic | August 17th, 2023.  

 

Moms For Liberty center of controversy ahead of GOP debate | Spectrum News 1 | August 16th, 2023.  

 

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