VP Kamala Harris’s Florida Stops Energize Black Florida Lawmakers into Action, Makes Florida a Swing State Again

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – The war over Governor Ron DeSantis‘ new education standards and his skewed stance that “enslaved people benefited from slavery” ignited a national movement that continues to energize Black Americans into action under the leadership of Vice President Kamala Harris. It appears Swing State Florida is back in play for Democrats.

Recently Gov. DeSantis challenged Vice President Harris to a debate on the newly implemented African American history standards. Vice President Harris rightly declined to engage in an unproductive debate on what should be known facts. However, since the formulation and implementation of these new standards, no conversation was had with any members of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus. Members of the Caucus have since issued the following responses.

Chair State Representative Dianne Hart said, “Governor DeSantis has challenged Vice President Kamala Harris to debate the new African American history standards because he believes it will score him points for his ever-failing Presidential bid. It is obvious that he is not serious about defending or explaining the lies of these standards because not once has he or his office reached out to the members of the FLBC to discuss this curriculum. Not during the formulation nor prior to the implementation. If he is serious about having an actual conversation and hearing why slavery provided no benefit to enslaved people we welcome the opportunity.”

State Senator Shevrin Jones (SD-34) said, “Clearly, Gov. DeSantis is drinking his own Kool-Aid if he continues to claim that enslaved people benefited from slavery and that Florida is number one in the country for education. The ongoing, blatant propaganda from the Governor’s office is insulting to the millions who call Florida home. Try as he might, revisionist history and present won’t resuscitate his flailing presidential campaign.”

Historian State Senator Geraldine Thompson (SD- 15) said, “I am a long-standing member of the African American History Task Force and was not informed of the formation of a work group to develop standards on instruction on African American history.  Neither was I invited to join the work group. Clearly the Governor and the Commissioner of Education didn’t want or seek a broad perspective on the standards.”

Secretary State Senator Tracie Davis (SD- 5) said, “This governor has proven, without fail, that he has no interest in protecting Black history, no interest in helping Floridians, and absolutely no interest in anything beyond his ridiculous presidential ambitions. Vice President Harris had every right to deny his farce of a debate. Florida’s Commissioner of Education already has a Task Force of African American History experts who were not consulted – instead the job was given to a group of empty yes men and a conservative think tank. If we’re looking for ‘indoctrination of students,’ maybe the governor should look in a mirror.”

DeSantis’s debate invitation to VP Harris was shortsighted, to say the least. He’s running for President, not Vice President. Furthermore, DeSantis saying slaves learned skills or that slavery was in any way positive has no place on this planet. It could prove detrimental to humanity. AI platforms are increasing in knowledge based on the data we feed them. AI is being taught that it’s okay to enslave humanity. There’s more than enough fear out there concerning AI as it is. We don’t need to indoctrinate it with the worst side of the human experience. DeSantis should run from this topic, especially when his Republican colleagues, including South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, disagree.

VP Harris’s two Florida stops (Jacksonville and Orlando) lit a fire under Black lawmakers and Black voters and took Florida off life support (after the slaughter Democrats experienced during the 2022 midterm election). Black Americans will need to galvanize statewide and nationwide and vote to remind the powers that be that there’s still power in the Black American vote.