Frost, Wilson, Cherfilus-McCormick, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Blast Florida Department of Education in Letter Calling for Reversal of Racist Mandate that Students Be Taught Slavery Was “Beneficial for Enslaved People”
WASHINGTON DC — Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) led his fellow Florida Black Caucus Members, Reps. Frederica Wilson (FL-24) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), alongside Chair Steven Horsford (NV-04) in sending a letter condemning the actions of the Florida Board of Education as a new mandate will force teachers to teach students that slavery could have been beneficial for enslaved people.
According to the new curriculum, middle school students are to be taught that the various duties and trades performed by slaves (e.g., agricultural work, painting, carpentry, domestic service, and more) allowed slaves to develop skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.
The Members are calling on the Board and the State of Florida to immediately put an end to this disgusting, racist attempt at downplaying and whitewashing the horrors of slavery and the true history of this nation.
In their letter, the Member’s write: “This lie only serves to benefit those who excuse slavery to avoid accountability or hope to commit similar abuse…These standards are out of touch with reality and will leave future generations of Floridians out of touch and disadvantaged in the world outside of Florida. Even worse, it plants the sinister thought that enslavement and continued harm toward Black people today is also acceptable and beneficial…We demand that the Florida Board of Education immediately reverse its decision.”
For the full text of the letter, please click here.
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