What is going on in Florida is straight out of the Nazi playbook. And the dog whistle of "western civilization"--no doubt of the Will Durant variety that alas the History Channel still flogs as "real" history--is just the beginning. I am very disappointed that so many organizations--including the College Board--are caving in front of the De-Insantis-anity. I heard on NPR this morning that it totally gutted the AP Black History course, removing anything having to do with the 1619 Project, Black Feminism, Black LGBTQ+ authors, Intersectionality, and CRT. It also jettisoned important authors and scholars such as Kimberlé Crenshaw, Langston Hughes (because can't have a queer Black man's work listed--even if he was closeted), etc. I admit that my first impulse was to encourage any colleagues teaching anything in Florida to add those authors and topics instantly into their curricula.
What DeSantis and his ilk (Abbott, Iowa gov Reynolds) prove is that they do not understand why "Western Civ" is so problematic a model, and most importantly, that they really don't want curriculums to develop any critical thinking skills in students. As for how students "feel" about themselves, and the need to protect their innocence, we need only turn to even relatively recent history to note that marriage was often contracted during teenage years, high school diplomas were not so common because kids had to grow up fast and work to support their families or just themselves. Florida's gov may have graduated from law school, but I wonder what he learned-or didn't- of history.
My friends, pray to whatever/whoever you would for those of us in Florida. In my county north of Tampa, 68% of registered voters are Republicans. My husband of 46yrs is a fervent dt supporter. I sobered up from that party on 6/16/15, brass escalator day.
Republicans do not want to teach history. They want to teach myth. Boring myth at that. Give me Dionysius and the Bacchanals or Artemis and the hunt.
What is going on in Florida is straight out of the Nazi playbook. And the dog whistle of "western civilization"--no doubt of the Will Durant variety that alas the History Channel still flogs as "real" history--is just the beginning. I am very disappointed that so many organizations--including the College Board--are caving in front of the De-Insantis-anity. I heard on NPR this morning that it totally gutted the AP Black History course, removing anything having to do with the 1619 Project, Black Feminism, Black LGBTQ+ authors, Intersectionality, and CRT. It also jettisoned important authors and scholars such as Kimberlé Crenshaw, Langston Hughes (because can't have a queer Black man's work listed--even if he was closeted), etc. I admit that my first impulse was to encourage any colleagues teaching anything in Florida to add those authors and topics instantly into their curricula.
What DeSantis and his ilk (Abbott, Iowa gov Reynolds) prove is that they do not understand why "Western Civ" is so problematic a model, and most importantly, that they really don't want curriculums to develop any critical thinking skills in students. As for how students "feel" about themselves, and the need to protect their innocence, we need only turn to even relatively recent history to note that marriage was often contracted during teenage years, high school diplomas were not so common because kids had to grow up fast and work to support their families or just themselves. Florida's gov may have graduated from law school, but I wonder what he learned-or didn't- of history.
My friends, pray to whatever/whoever you would for those of us in Florida. In my county north of Tampa, 68% of registered voters are Republicans. My husband of 46yrs is a fervent dt supporter. I sobered up from that party on 6/16/15, brass escalator day.
Matt, David, keep fighting the good fight.