Florida's Slavery Curriculum: Whitewashing History or Highlighting Resilience?

Left-rated voices and Vice President Kamala Harris are criticizing a newly approved Florida school curriculum that includes instruction stating that enslaved people in America “developed skills” that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”

Harris: Criticizing the curriculum, Harris stated, “How is it that anyone could suggest that amidst these atrocities [of slavery], there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization?” Dr. William Allen, who worked on the curriculum, accused Harris of lying about the curriculum, responding, “What this curriculum is about is having people who lived the experience, who lived the history tell their stories.”

“Blatant Distortion”: A writer in MSNBC (Left bias) called the curriculum a “blatant distortion of the past” and tied it to a larger effort to “erase the perspectives of Black people in the classroom — and whitewash American history.” The piece argues, “we must teach the full, unadulterated truth of the horrors of slavery and the violence of white supremacy, even if it makes some Americans feel uncomfortable.”

“Dishonest Smear”: The National Review (Right bias) Editorial Board called criticism of the curriculum a “dishonest smear,” stating the learning materials include “extensive instruction on the history and economics of the development of slavery, as well as abolitionism, slave revolts, and the Underground Railroad.” The piece argues, “Telling black American history truthfully should impart a sense that, while slavery was evil and immoral, period, slaves nonetheless made choices for the benefit of themselves and their families.”