Why is the Vice President of the United States afraid of a governor?
Governor Ron DeSantis expressed his willingness to engage in a face-to-face debate with Vice President Kamala Harris over the controversy surrounding Florida’s new African American history curriculum. The contentious line in question mentions “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
According to Fox, DeSantis sent a letter to Harris inviting her to Tallahassee for the debate and later stated to reporters that he invited her “to come to Florida to debate Florida’s education standards.”
During a campaign stop in New Hampshire, DeSantis claimed that Harris had made false statements about the curriculum and that he was prepared to address the issue in a debate.
As of now, there has been no response from Harris or her office regarding the invitation.
Harris was visiting Orlando, Florida, to address the AME 20th Women’s Missionary Society Quadrennial Convention, and her trip followed her previous visit to Jacksonville, where she criticized the new curriculum, accusing it of promoting propaganda to children and suggesting that enslaved people benefited from slavery.
DeSantis defended the curriculum during an event in Utah but also distanced himself from responsibility, stating that he was not involved in its development.
The governor has repeatedly clashed with Harris, accusing her of trying to “demagogue” the issue and engaging in political posturing.
In his letter to Harris, DeSantis defended Florida’s African American History standards, arguing that the state should be applauded for its commitment to teaching this vital subject.
DeSantis further accused the Biden administration of spreading misinformation and blamed Harris for instigating the controversy.
The new standards have received bipartisan criticism, including from Black Republicans such as Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Byron Donalds, who endorsed the overall curriculum but called for the correction of the controversial line about the personal benefits of slavery.
DeSantis took issue with Donalds’ criticism, suggesting that he was siding with Harris and liberal media outlets instead of supporting the state of Florida.
The governor emphasized that the team responsible for the standards followed state law and defended their work against demeaning comments.
Dr. William Allen, an African American history scholar and political adviser who approved Florida’s curriculum, stood by the work and criticized the vice president’s comments.
Governor DeSantis expressed a desire to defend his state’s efforts and was prepared to have an informed debate on the matter.