
Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat/AP
In Miami-Dade, students under the guidance of Mayade Ersoff explore the history of American slavery through art, confronting its harsh realities. Despite the disturbing nature of the topic, students exhibit intrigue and engagement, demonstrating a desire to learn from the past and avert its repetition. However, looming changes in Florida’s education standards are poised to reshape this learning experience, necessitating a shift towards portraying enslaved people as developing skills for personal gain.
This curriculum alteration is at the core of a broader cultural and ideological conflict. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made confronting what he terms “woke” ideology a central aspect of his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. DeSantis has rejected an African American Studies course by the College Board, citing its inclusion of topics like reparations, Black queer studies, and the Movement for Black Lives. He has also discouraged teaching that addresses racial privilege or oppression.
The governor’s office contends that the curriculum changes are not politically motivated and highlight the fact that enslaved individuals acquired specialized trades, using these skills for personal and collective benefit upon gaining freedom.
The contested nature of Black history education in Florida has sparked protests and compelled historians like Marvin Dunn to take action outside the classroom. Dunn, who conducts “Teach the Truth” tours, is determined to counter distorted narratives that paint a skewed picture of history.
As educators grapple with the contentious landscape of curriculum changes, including mandated portrayals of racial violence, the challenge of preserving historical accuracy while countering revisionist agendas remains acute. The battle over how Black history is taught is indicative of broader cultural struggles and the ongoing fight to ensure that education provides an accurate reflection of the past.

On a recent Wednesday, Dunn took the helm of a downtown Miami march that resonated with the echoes of dissent, aimed squarely at the novel education standards. Approximately a cohort of 100 impassioned activists and members of the community coalesced, brandishing placards that bore their convictions, their voices coalescing into a resolute chant, “Teach the truth!” Their route extended a tad over a mile, culminating at the venerable edifice housing the Miami-Dade County Public Schools headquarters.
Ersoff, a steadfast observer within this dynamic congregation, proffered her cogent perspective, delineating her apprehensions regarding the potential consequences of diluting the curriculum’s Black history segments. Her conviction lay in the belief that this measure could indelibly mark the intellectual trajectory of students. She cogitated, revealing her concern: a graduate populace devoid of veritable historical verities, cast into the maelstrom of reality unprepared for its potent currents. Ersoff’s admonition reverberated strongly – an appeal to shield the realm of childhood from the throes of political maneuvering, and to eschew the utilization of these young minds as mere pawns in a larger ideological contest.
‘Detrimental to our community’
The recent modifications in educational standards have ignited a broader sentiment of discontent, not solely confined to educators. Among the ranks of Florida’s parental cohort, a palpable concern courses through, a concern that the freshly introduced pedagogical guidelines for Black history, compounded by the prohibition on the Advanced Placement African American studies course, could potentially efface the rich tapestry of Black history from the educational tableau.
Amidst this discourse, the resolute voice of Mildred Slocum, who aids in the upbringing of her granddaughter Janiyah Spivey, resounds. Slocum’s convictions are unequivocal, her stance unfaltering: regardless of the modality, articulation, or lexical choices, there resides no conceivable merit in subjecting any individual to the harrowing saga of inhumanity and suffering endured by those held in the shackles of slavery. The gravity of the narrative has compelled Slocum to embark upon an unanticipated endeavor, augmenting Janiyah’s scholastic journey through extramural tutelage.
Their encounter with the realms of Black history transpired in the form of a guided bus tour, a venture orchestrated by Dunn earlier in the year. Janiyah, a diligent 10th grade pupil at Design and Architecture Senior High School in Miami, proffers her sentiments. She contends that the recent legislative undertakings amount to a form of “sugarcoating,” a conscious obfuscation of the unvarnished truths underpinning the intricate history of Black communities. The crux of her dismay resonates from a perspective that deems these measures detrimental to the collective consciousness of her community, as she harbors a fervent belief in the necessity of confronting historical realities, no matter how disquieting.
Slocum concurs, her stratagem for resistance finding expression in the realm of civic participation. Casting a vote is her envisioned weapon, an instrument to usher individuals into positions of governance who harbor an unwavering commitment to the unadulterated recitation of Black history, shunning all veils of distortion or neglect. For her, this endeavor is a means to foster a profound understanding of history that transcends partisan posturing and embraces the unvarnished truth.
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