Black churches and congregations in Florida now offer versions of Black history education that do not follow state-imposed guidelines. This comes in response to recent changes in Florida’s educational curriculum for K-12 students, which has sparked controversy and criticism.
Changing Curriculum
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican and a 2024 presidential candidate, faced backlash after the Florida Department of Education (DOE) implemented alterations to the educational curriculum earlier this year.
A Rejected Course
The changes made by the Florida DOE included the rejection of an AP African American Studies course.
Jeremy Redfern, press secretary to Governor DeSantis, had criticized the rejected course, stating, “It lacks historical accuracy” and “educational value.”
Controversial Curriculum Changes
One aspect of the new curriculum that has gotten significant attention is a statement, “Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
Differing Opinions
This statement that enslaved people received some “personal benefit” has gained the most criticism.
Vice President Kamala Harris labeled the statement “propaganda,” while Fox News’ Jesse Watters called it “historical fact.”
DeSantis Response
In a July press conference, DeSantis defended the new curriculum.
He said, “I think that they’re probably going to show some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith, into doing things later in life.”
Pastors Taking the Lead
Black pastors in Florida have decided to take matters into their own hands by offering educational lessons on Black history, like Pastor Kenneth Johnson of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.
Pastor Johnson
Pastor Johnson recently conducted an online lesson on the transatlantic slave trade, and similar lessons are planned for the future.
Pastor Kenneth Johnson stated, “We don’t need government approval to teach our history.”
Faith in Florida’s Initiative
Faith in Florida, a multicultural nonpartisan network of congregational community organizations, has been at the forefront of creating alternative educational resources for the African-American community.
Despite Slavery, Not Because
Faith in Florida’s network developed its curriculum and launched an online toolkit to help individuals better understand their history.
Linda Wiggins-Chavis, research and policy coordinator for Faith in Florida, emphasized, “People came to this country with skills, okay? And those people developed skills despite slavery, not because of slavery.”
A Call for Unfiltered History
Black churches and organizations like Faith in Florida want to teach what they believe to be an honest version of history.
Rhonda Thomas, executive director of Faith in Florida, said they have a responsibility to teach history that is not “watered down” and reflects the true experiences of African Americans.
A Step Towards Formalization
Professor Davis Houck of Florida State University, an expert on the Black Freedom Movement, noted that while Black churches have historically taught Black American history, these efforts represent a move towards formalizing structured lesson plans and using primary historical sources.
Is Public School Failing
Professor Davis Houck said, “If Black community leaders perceive their history is not being accurately taught, it stands to reason that they would do it themselves—mainly because their families have lived that history. On the other side of the ideological register, some white evangelicals are home-schooling their children or sending them to private schools for the same reasons, namely that the curricula in public schools, in their estimation, are failing.”
Community Concerns
Amidst these developments, teachers, students, community members, and Teamsters protested Florida’s enacted Black history standards and marched to Miami-Dade school board headquarters.
They claimed the new guidelines were “historically inaccurate, troubling, and deeply offensive.”
Public Response
Most people are siding with those fighting against the new guidelines, with one social media user commenting on the controversy, “Thank God for these folks, making sure their children know the truth instead of the DeSantis fairy tales.”
The post Florida Faith Communities Challenge DeSantis, Advocate for Comprehensive Black History Curriculum first appeared on Pulse of Pride
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Andrew Cline. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
