TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education are facing criticism over the state's new standards for teaching Black history.
Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, who represents North Tampa, is calling on the department's commissioner, Manny Díaz Jr., to step down.
Driskell called the new curriculum "reckless," particularly citing a portion that says African Americans received some "personal benefit" from slavery.
"Some of what is being encouraged to be taught are flat-out lies, including the idea that slaves actually benefited from slavery, that perhaps the benefit of gaining a trade such as being a blacksmith might be outweighed by the horrors of slavery. We know that that is absolutely false," Driskell said. "It cannot be taught in our schools, and we should demand that Manny Diaz Jr. steps down so that there's some accountability."
Driskell shared her call to action in a letter on Saturday, saying, "Florida’s students deserve to receive an accurate education, and that includes the accurate teaching of Black history."
"If DeSantis refuses to hold his department accountable, then the people must be the ones to cry out and to create an uproar and to put on public pressure so that he steps down," Driskell said.
When DeSantis was asked about the new teaching standards in Utah on Friday, he denied involvement in the policy changes.
"You should talk to [the Florida Department of Education] about it. I didn't do it, I wasn't involved," DeSantis said.
However, DeSantis defended the basis of the ideas being presented and argues it was all carefully crafted by academics.
"The reality is everything is factual," DeSantis said. "These were scholars that put that all together. This was not something that was put together politically."
Driskell said she is concerned about Florida's future if immediate action isn't taken.
"You're suppressing the stories of the African-American community. You're telling these kids that their history doesn't matter," Driskell said. "We have students in our school system here in Florida that we want to go on to compete globally. We want them to be able to go to good colleges and get a good future, whatever that looks like for them.
"That means that they have to have a good education that is respected globally. Right now, in Florida under Gov. DeSantis, his leadership is becoming a laughing stock."
Driskell says the governor must take accountability and see to the curriculum being revised.
"If Gov. DeSantis thinks that these standards are bad like I do and like so many Floridians do, then he needs to call for a change. This is his Department of Education. He's the one who is ultimately accountable for it."
Driskell says public pressure is important, encouraging those who oppose these changes to reach out to her via her website.
We've reached out to the Department of Education about her demands and have not heard back.