(RepublicanDaily.org) – Vice President Kamala Harris has snubbed an invitation by Florida Ron DeSantis to debate and discuss Florida’s new middle school curriculum on African American history while continuing to denounce the program as racist “propaganda” filled with “lies.”
Harris called a debate “unnecessary,” as she said she feels that there are “no redeeming qualities of slavery,” referring to a particularly controversial part of the curriculum that implied that slaves gained certain “skills” that they could have used for personal benefit. Harris further decried the curriculum, saying that suggesting that the rape, torture, and kidnapping slavery entailed had any sort of benefit was “false and misleading.” The Vice President, who is black and has the distinction of being the first ever female vice president, made the remarks during a speech at the 20th Women’s Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Quadrennial Convention in Orlando, Florida.
On his part, DeSantis condemned what he called an attempt by the Biden administration to “score cheap political points” and “label Florida parents extremists.” The Florida governor and Republican presidential nominee hopeful also claimed that officials of the Biden administration had “repeatedly disparaged our state.” DeSantis added that the White House should instead welcome “such boldness in teaching the unique and important story of African American History.”
Strong criticism of Florida’s new Black history curriculum has not been limited to Democrats, however. Will Hurd, another GOP presidential hopeful and former congressman from Texas, said that it was “insane” to imply that slaves somehow benefited from their slavery. Even fellow Floridian and Republican Byron Donalds, who is black and serves as one of the state’s representatives in Congress, claimed that the curriculum’s standards were “wrong and need to be adjusted.” Another Republican congressman, John James of Michigan, called slavery “400 years of evil” in a tweet and accused DeSantis of “attacking” black Republicans in Congress.
The DeSantis campaign to secure the Republican presidential nomination has been hit hard, especially in recently months, as the Florida governor continues to play a far second place to former president Donald Trump’s bid to re-enter the White House. Recent polls have shown Trump enjoying the support of almost 50% of Republican voters, while DeSantis trails at 19%.
Copyright 2023, RepublicanDaily.org
