White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blasted Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for banning public schools from teaching AP African American history, while not banning a similar class on European history.
DeSantis, who is expected to launch a run for President, has been using his office to build a collection of authoritarian edicts that he frames as pro-parent.
Calling the ban “the latest in a series of actions to keep conversations and lessons about race, sexuality and gender identity off the state’s school campuses,” The Guardian reports DeSantis defended his decision by claiming the class violates state law and “lacks educational value.”
“These types of actions aren’t new,” the Press Secretary told reporters Friday, stressing, “especially from Florida.”
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DeSantis has been waging war on minorities in the Sunshine State, including signing into law his “Don’t Say Gay” legislation last year, and recently calling for it to be expanded.
“It is incomprehensible to see that this is what this ban–or this block, to be more specific–that DeSantis has put forward. If you think about the study of Black Americans, that is what he wants to block and, again, these types of actions aren’t new, especially from what we’re seeing from Florida, sadly,” the Press Secretary told reporters Friday, as National Review noted.
“Sadly, Florida currently bans teachers from talking about who they are and who they love. As we’ve talked about many times here in this briefing room, they have banned more books in schools and libraries than almost every other state in the country,” Jean-Pierre noted.
“And let’s not forget,” she observed, “they didn’t block AP European History. They didn’t block our music history. They didn’t block our art history. But the state chooses to block a course that is meant for high-achieving high school students to learn about the history of arts and culture. And it is, you know, it is incomprehensible again, and I will just leave it there. Leave it there to make your own to make your own determination. of why this occurred and why this happened. Again, it is not our place to to direct or to to be involved in any local school curriculum. But this is concerning,” she stressed.
Banning the elective AP African American history class is one of several bans DeSantis has imposed on what he likes to call “the free state of Florida.”
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The GOP governor of the Sunshine State bragged earlier this week he would ban anyone from mandating COVID mitigation efforts. That includes private companies who want to keep their employees and customers safe. That includes mask and vaccine requirements, and vaccine “passports.”
Florida ranks eighth in total coronavirus cases per capita and thirteenth in total coronavirus deaths per capita. DeSantis calls his state a “refuge of sanity” in a press release announcing his anti-protection proposals.
Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic Clinical Instructor, Alejandra Caraballo, on Wednesday noted, “DeSantis is now demanding all information regarding ANY gender affirming care provided by Florida State Colleges and Universities. This would include treatments provided for trans college students enrolled at state universities.”
She adds, “it looks like DeSantis is set to turn the Florida University system into a conservative indoctrination system that will be hostile to and force out LGBTQ and BIPOC students.”
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