Leaders of a forum discussing Florida’s revised Black history teaching standards are encouraging parents to voice their concerns by attending local school board meetings, providing feedback to the state’s Department of Education, and utilizing their voting rights. A gathering of hundreds, including lawmakers, educators, and parents, convened at Antioch Baptist Church in Miami Gardens to address the policy. The new standards have faced significant backlash due to a requirement for middle school teachers to instruct students that enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
However, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, who bears responsibility for overseeing the standards, was notably absent. Diaz, a former high school teacher in Miami-Dade County, had initially confirmed his attendance, according to event organizers. His participation had been widely advertised on event flyers, and a seat with his name displayed on a placard had been prepared. Diaz, who was appointed commissioner by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis last year, explained on social media that he informed State Senator Shevrin Jones, the event’s sponsor, a week before that he would instead be visiting schools to welcome back teachers and students. The day of the gathering also coincided with the start of the new school year in most of Florida.
One attendee, Ingram, addressing the enthusiastic crowd, denounced Diaz as a coward. He asserted that both DeSantis and Diaz were aware of the event and yet chose not to face the public. Activist and minister Anthony Durden, hailing from Miami Gardens, found the revised standards disrespectful and insensitive. Durden argued that stating Blacks benefited from slavery was utterly insane. He highlighted the importance of honest dialogue as the way forward, lamenting the lack of such discussions in classrooms. Steve Gallon III, a member of the Miami-Dade school board, called upon parents to educate their children at home about the horrors of slavery. Gallon expressed hope that the meeting would serve as a catalyst for a wider movement.
The gathering took place in a historically significant Black church in Miami Gardens, and the prevailing sentiment among attendees was predominantly negative towards the new standards. Senator Jones pledged to establish a committee to study the standards and encouraged audience members to join. Governor DeSantis has consistently defended the revised language while accusing opponents of purposefully misinterpreting a single line in the comprehensive curriculum. Karen Thompson, a school counselor who attended the town hall meeting, expressed her distress and disbelief at the new standards. Thompson expressed her desire for their repeal this year, emphasizing that education should always focus on presenting the truth. (Neither Vice President Kamala Harris nor Governor DeSantis will be engaging in a live debate regarding the policy.)
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