August 2nd 2023.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has extended an invitation to Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss the state’s new controversial African American history benchmark. DeSantis wrote in his letter, obtained by ABC News, that he would be available to meet as early as Wednesday of this week to discuss the issue. He also noted that he wanted to be respectful of Harris' busy schedule.
The recent 2023 State Academic Standards for Social Studies, which includes changes to how slavery in the United States is taught, has caused a stir among many leaders. The new standards state that teachers are to teach that slaves “developed skills” which could be “applied for their own personal benefit.” Vice President Harris expressed her anger at the decision in a speech at the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority National Convention on July 20th. She tweeted the following day, vowing to “fight back” against the changes.
DeSantis and co-author of the pamphlet, Dr. William B. Allen, have defended their decision, with DeSantis taking to Twitter to respond to the criticism. In the letter to Harris, DeSantis argued that the Biden Administration was misinforming Americans about the state’s education system. He noted that Florida is one of the only states to require such a high level of learning about African American history, and that it should be applauded.
Dr. Allen also spoke to Local 10 News about the changes to the history curriculum. He believes that people should have the opportunity to tell their own stories, and that is what the changes have provided.
The Vice President has yet to respond to the invitation from Governor DeSantis, but it seems that a discussion may be on the horizon. It would be a great example to the nation if the two leaders are able to have a meaningful conversation around such an important issue.
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