DeSantis Supports Controversial Slavery Lessons, Seen as ‘Policy Aggression’ by Civil Rights Advocates

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Initial optimism for Governor Ron DeSantis’ stance on racial justice, spurred by his early pardon of four falsely accused Black men, has dissipated amongst civil rights leaders as he eyes the presidency. These advocates now condemn what they perceive as a trend of ‘policy aggression’ towards people of color under DeSantis’ leadership, a trend they believe has reached a nadir with the recent implementation of a contentious “anti-woke” public school curriculum on Black history. The curriculum controversially mandates Florida teachers to teach middle-schoolers that enslaved people occasionally acquired skills that were personally advantageous.

DeSantis continues to staunchly defend this curriculum modification, despite facing criticism from a wide array of individuals, including Vice President Kamala Harris and prominent Black Republican Congress members. Civil rights activists who have been observing DeSantis’ actions remain skeptical of his justifications.

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“DeSantis has mastered the practice of implementing policy aggression which we must strive to halt,” stated Derrick Johnson, the President and CEO of the NAACP. In May, his organization issued a travel advisory for Florida, cautioning African Americans about DeSantis’ “intensive attempts to erase Black history and limit diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in Florida schools.”

This polarizing debate underscores the political and practical hazards of DeSantis’ stance on racial issues as he attempts to rejuvenate his floundering campaign and the Republican Party seeks to improve its poor reputation among minority voters.

Long-standing Republican leaders have frequently stoked white resentment to energize their predominantly white voter base. However, DeSantis, a confrontational conservative leading one of the largest states in the country, appears to have adopted far-right racial perspectives more assertively than any other 2024 presidential contender in his bid to outflank Trump on the right.

On Thursday, the 44-year-old governor responded defiantly when confronted about party critics who echoed the Democratic Vice President’s concerns.

“You must decide who you’re going to side with: Kamala Harris and liberal media outlets or the state of Florida?” DeSantis queried reporters during his campaign in Iowa. “I believe it’s quite evident that those guys did a commendable job on those standards. There was no political motivation behind it.”

DeSantis now faces criticism from not only Florida teachers and civil rights leaders, but also the Biden administration. Harris, the first Black Vice President of the nation, visited Florida last week to denounce the curriculum. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senate’s sole Black Republican, and a presidential aspirant, publicly criticized DeSantis while campaigning in Iowa.

In contrast to most of DeSantis’ other GOP presidential competitors who have remained quiet, other Black conservatives have started to express their concerns. Representative Byron Donalds, a powerful Black Republican from Florida, voiced his issues with the part of the curriculum suggesting enslaved people benefitted from their enslavement.

“I believe that section requires some modifications,” he revealed to southwest Florida’s WINK News this week.

The DeSantis administration subsequently attacked Donalds, a popular conservative seen as a rising star within the GOP.

In light of the spotlight of presidential politics, DeSantis’ approach risks alienating potential conservative supporters while undermining his key message to Republican voters – the idea that he is more electable than Trump against President Joe Biden in the general election.

Republican strategists concede that the curriculum dispute could compromise the party’s modest gains with some minority voters in recent elections.

Meanwhile, as the racial debate unfolds within the GOP, DeSantis is not the only one testing the boundaries of the party’s rightward shift on race. As DeSantis pushes these contentious views, he continues to face opposition from various sections of society, highlighting the challenging road ahead in his presidential ambitions.

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• Ron DeSantis
• 2024 Presidential Election
• Civil Rights in the United States
• Education policy in Florida
• Critical Race Theory and Education
• NAACP
• History of Slavery in the United States