Florida’s Black History Education Battle

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People chat slogans during the "Teach No Lies" march to the School Board of Miami-Dade County to protest Florida's new standards for teaching Black history, which have come under intense criticism for what they say about slavery, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
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In Miami, dozens of teachers, students, and labor leaders are standing up and speaking out. They marched to the Miami School District headquarters Wednesday to protest Florida’s new standards for teaching Black history.

One particular point of contention is a requirement for middle school teachers to instruct students that enslaved people develop skills, which in some instances could be applied for their personal benefit. Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 GOP presidential nominee, is defending the new curriculum.

The protestors started from Miami’s historically Black Overton neighborhood, demanding the truth in education with chants like “What do we want? Truth. When do we want it? Now.”

This battle comes after a string of controversial moves by the DeSantis administration, including blocking a new advanced placement course on African American studies earlier this year and pushing through the Stop Woke Act, a law that limits discussions on race in schools.


Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

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