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Rachel Schilke, Breaking News Reporter


NextImg:DeSantis 2024 rivals blast new Florida curriculum about slavery

2024 presidential candidates are condemning Florida's new teaching standards regarding slavery, breaking apart Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who has not outright denounced the controversial curriculum.

Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy criticized Florida's new standards that discuss the "personal benefits" of slavery. DeSantis has defended the curriculum, saying it will discuss skills black people may have developed while enslaved "in spite of slavery, not because of slavery."

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The official clarification within the curriculum states that "instruction includes how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit" — something several black Republicans like Hurd, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) have heavily criticized.

"Slavery is not a jobs program, and anybody that is implying that there was an upside to slavery is insane," Hurd said in an interview with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press.

Hurd said DeSantis has "doubled down" on defending the curriculum and has blamed the authors of the curriculum instead of taking personal responsibility.

"Real leadership would have stepped up and said, 'Hey, there is no upside to slavery. Slavery was not a jobs program. Nobody should imply that's what we did and we're going to change the language,' and this would have been done," Hurd said.

"But this is one more, part of a back pattern of Ron DeSantis being mean and hateful," Hurd continued.

Haley echoed Hurd's comments, saying the governor should "come out and say no positives came out of slavery."

"I think that's important to say. And I think that’s what these Republicans and Democrats have asked him to say. We’ll see what he does," Haley said on CBS's Face the Nation.


Ramaswamy did not go so far as to criticize DeSantis himself, instead choosing to adamantly say that slavery should not be taught as anything other than a dark period in United States history.

"Obviously, we should be teaching kids about the awful legacy of slavery, but, even more importantly, we're not teaching them enough about the ideals that actually do define this country,” Ramaswamy said.

Hurd added that DeSantis's "hateful rhetoric" could prevent him from receiving support from black and brown communities, as well as LGBT people. Hurd pointed to a DeSantis staffer who was fired shortly after he shared a controversial video featuring the sonnenrad, a Nazi symbol.

"One is an exception, three is a trend, and this is a big problem," Hurd said.

DeSantis's campaign pointed the Washington Examiner to comments that DeSantis made on Friday regarding his state's curriculum.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Part of the reason our country has struggled is because D.C. Republicans all too often accept false narratives, accept lies that are perpetrated by the Left," DeSantis said.

"The way you lead is to fight back against the lies, is to speak the truth. So I'm here defending my state of Florida against false accusations and against lies. And we’re going to continue to speak the truth," DeSantis continued.