In the American political landscape, two commonly observed idioms are the power of repeating lies until they are perceived as truths, and the tendency for lies to spread farther than truths. It is an unfortunate reality that politicians, by nature of their job, sometimes resort to lying. However, there are certain lies that serve as the foundation for political discourse, aimed at forcing their adversaries to fight an uphill battle in disproving false narratives and slowing down the spread of deceptive information.
This particular lie gains even more momentum when it is attached to a specific group of people with the intention of eliciting an emotional reaction, thereby diverting attention from the critical analysis of the message being conveyed. Vice President Kamala Harris employed this strategy to further tarnish Florida Republicans, particularly Governor Ron DeSantis, during a convention for the historically black sorority Delta Sigma Theta in Indianapolis. She claimed, “Just yesterday in the state of Florida, they decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery. They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it.”
However, Dr. William B. Allen, an esteemed academic and former chairman of the Commission on Civil Rights, criticized Harris’ comments as “categorically false.” He clarified that slavery being portrayed as beneficial to Africans was never stated in Florida’s curriculum. Harris knowingly misrepresented a single line among many instructions regarding the teaching of slavery. The actual line reads, “Instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
Despite being called out for her falsehood, Harris repeated her claim during her visit to Jacksonville, Florida the following day. This deliberate misrepresentation of a singular line was significant enough to prompt William B. Allen, a member of Florida’s African American History Standards Workgroup and former chairman of the Commission on Civil Rights, to publicly denounce Harris’ statement as “categorically false.”
The purpose of this lie is to fuel the growing animosity among the political left towards the right, while distracting the right into debating the technicalities of the real statement instead of focusing on the lie itself. Harris strategically targeted these lies to attack Florida Republicans, particularly Governor Ron DeSantis, who is considered a potential presidential candidate for 2024.
Harris’ actions can be seen as a lesson in political propaganda, as she ironically used Florida’s educational curriculum to demonstrate how effective and simple it is to manipulate information, especially for someone in a position of authority. By altering the word choice and framing of statements, Harris projected a false narrative while staying relatively close to the original terms. As a professor, she understands that most of her political followers are unlikely to fact-check her alterations due to laziness, their perception of her as a trusted figure, or their satisfaction with the revisions that align with their preconceived biases. Furthermore, Harris had the opportunity to showcase the emotional impact of her formula in a live audience primarily composed of black women.
While there are valid debates concerning the type of curriculum that should be taught to our children, it is crucial to challenge the way history is translated for the next generation. We should not shy away from the ugly aspects of our country’s past, as there are valuable lessons to be learned from such circumstances. However, honest and fair conversations become impossible when politicians corrupt educational opportunities for the sake of political theater and disseminate misleading interpretations. The damage has been done, and now Harris can reap the benefits of the mileage her lie has generated.
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