In a zealously-delivered speech at an African Methodist Episcopal convention in Orlando, VP Kamala Harris firmly declined Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ invitation to debate slavery and the state’s Black history curriculum.
The governor’s invitation came after Harris denounced the curriculum as “propaganda” and “lies” for asserting that slaves had benefited from their captivity.
VP Kamala and benefits from slavery?
With conviction in her voice, Harris stated, “I’m here in Florida, and I will tell you there is no roundtable, no lecture, no invitation we will accept to debate an undeniable fact. There were no redeeming qualities of slavery.”
Her rejection of the invitation sends a powerful message about the need to confront historical inaccuracies and stand against attempts to revise the painful realities of the past.
Governor DeSantis, who is also seeking the GOP nomination for the presidency, urged Harris to come to Tallahassee for an open discussion on the curriculum.
“One would think the White House would applaud such boldness in teaching the unique and important story of African American History,” Governor DeSantis said in the letter.
“But you have instead attempted to score cheap political points and label Florida parents ‘extremists.’ It’s past time to set the record straight.”
Distorted history
VP Kamala previously criticized the curriculum’s claim that slaves benefited from their enslavement, characterizing it as an insult to the historical suffering endured by millions of African Americans.
She had also decried attempts to gaslight and divide the nation with distorted representations of history.
“Adults know what slavery really involved. It involved rape. It involved torture. It involved taking a baby from their mother,” Harris passionately stated during her speech. “To suggest that ‘there was any benefit to being subjected to this level of dehumanization’ is false and misleading, and it is pushing propaganda.”
The clash between the VP Kamala and the Florida governor reflects broader debates across the nation about how history should be taught in schools.
Harris’ refusal to engage in a debate she views as an attempt to legitimize harmful historical revisions underscores the urgency of promoting a more accurate and inclusive understanding of the past.
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