Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, firmly denounced the false claims circulating about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the state’s African American history curriculum. He emphasized that these claims have no basis in history but are merely attempts to undermine DeSantis.
Roberts, who holds a PhD in American history, asserted that the outcry over Florida’s African American history standards is baseless. Having extensively written about curriculum standards on the topic, he reviewed Florida’s curriculum and found it to be excellent and comprehensive, addressing difficult topics and highlighting heroic figures who fought against oppression.
The controversy stemmed from Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent trip to Jacksonville, where she falsely accused the curriculum of teaching that enslaved people benefited from slavery. However, Harris’s claim was based on misrepresenting a single sentence from the curriculum that explained how freed slaves utilized skills learned during slavery to improve their lives.
Roberts pointed out that the same concept was present in the College Board’s AP African American Studies course framework, which is taught in numerous schools across the country. The curriculum emphasizes that enslaved people also developed specialized trades and skills, which they used to support themselves and others after gaining freedom.
He emphasized that Florida’s standards celebrate the vital contributions of African Americans in building and strengthening American society, even in the face of extreme adversity.
Addressing the controversial phrase in the curriculum, Roberts clarified that it accurately portrays how some slaves were able to earn money and even purchase their freedom through their skills. He emphasized that mentioning “personal benefit” does not defend or romanticize slavery but showcases the resilience and determination of enslaved individuals.
Quoting African American historian Dr. William B. Allen, former chairman of the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights, Roberts highlighted that the phrase aligns with the spirit of figures like Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass, who rose above the darkness of slavery to achieve greatness.
Roberts emphasized that the controversy has nothing to do with history’s accuracy but is driven by political motivations, aimed at attacking conservative leaders like Governor DeSantis. Despite the baseless attacks, Roberts praised DeSantis for his courage in the face of this unfounded criticism.