Ron DeSantis Slammed For Banning African-American History Course, Says It 'Lacks Educational Value'

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is once again facing scrutiny following a decision to block a new Advanced Placement African-American history course in high schools in his state, claiming that the course "lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law."

In a January 12 letter to the College Board, which is rolling the course out in a pilot program to 60 high schools across the United States, according to BBC News, the Florida Department of Education stated it would block the course, claiming it violated state law, though it did not specify what law the course breaks.

A statement by DeSantis Spokesman Bryan Griffin stated that the course "leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow."

"If the College Board amends the course to comply, provides a full course curriculum, and incorporates historically accurate content, then the Department will reconsider the course for approval," Griffin said.

In a further statement, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. Shared on Twitter that the state happily teaches African American history, but does not accept the course, which is "woke indoctrination."

The course is expected to cover more than 400 years of African American history and touch upon topics such as literature political science and geography.

The decision to block the course has been met with outrage, with the National Parents Union claiming it is a "direct attack on the Black and all (Black, Indigenous and Persons of Color) communities" and saying that the behavior to block it is "Dangerous and should concern every American."

The move was also heavily criticized on social media, with many calling the Governor a racist and reiterating that he is also dangerous as he potentially mulls a more national platform with a 2024 Presidential campaign.

This isn't the first time a decision by DeSantis has reached criticism on a national level. In 2022, he passed a "Stop WOKE" act which regulated lessons on how race and gender were taught in Florida schools and bans the teaching of critical race theory. He also passed a law that was nicknamed the "Don't Say Gay" Bill, which prohibited instruction in classrooms from kindergarten to third grade on sexual orientation.