What to know about Florida’s new Black history curriculum as Harris prepares to speak

Florida’s new curriculum for teaching Black history in K-12 schools, which includes controversial approaches to slavery, is drawing criticism and is expected to be the subject of Vice President Harris’ upcoming speech in the state.

The big picture: The state-approved changes to social studies curriculum are divisive, as they came just months after Florida rejected an Advanced Placement course in African American Studies.
* Vice President Harris intends to voice her disapproval of these changes when she speaks in Jacksonville, Florida.
* Her speech is expected to cover topics including attempts to “rewrite the horrors of slavery”.

Criticism of New Standards: The main opposition to these new education standards argues that it prevents a comprehensive and truthful portrayal of America’s history.
* Critics, which include teachers and civil rights leaders, say the curriculum fails to delve deeply into the history or struggles of prominent African American figures.
* Moreover, these new guidelines for middle-schoolers claim that “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit”—a statement deemed both inaccurate and offensive.

What they’re saying: While VP Harris said “They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it,” Paul Burns, chancellor of Florida’s K-12 public schools, defended the curriculum and claimed the criticisms are a false narrative.
* The Florida Education Association, a statewide teachers union, expressed concern that younger students’ understanding of African American history may not move beyond the ability to recognize famous individuals.
* State Sen. Geraldine Thompson criticized the curriculum’s assertion that some racially-motivated massacres were “perpetrated against and by African Americans,” calling it an instance of “blaming the victim.”

View original article on NPR

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