Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 4-2-21

State
DeSantis Seeks To Reinvent History, Deny Racism And Divide
BY ADORA OBI NWEZE President, Florida NAACP
When things get tough, we know how to come together. Compassion is usually the powerful unifying force when we confront these challenges. And despite our differences, even racial differences, our cir- cumstances are improved as a result. My hope is that we use our humanity to deal with the troubling issues cropping up all around us.
It really bothers me that time and again, we’ve wit- nessed our history ignored, sugar-coated or erased. Enter Gov. Ron DeSantis, who picked up the sad old racist playbook to further divide us with his latest move to inter- fere with the public school cur- riculum.
DeSantis has chosen to ignore 40 years of research
ADORA OBI NWEZE
and evidence of institutional racism in America. He pro- claimed, “There is no room in our classrooms for things like critical race theory.”
In other words, it appears that he wants to sweep away information detailing the in- fluence of racism in American history and years of policy de- cisions that intensified the di- vide between the races. DeSantis tried to disguise his
true intent by increasing state funding for civics courses and dangled the carrot of a $3,000 teacher bonus to those who embraced and completed training in “civics professional development.”
Historians, sociologists, and scholars of every kind rec- ognize the critical race theory which affirms institutional racism in our laws. The gover- nor’s refusal to recognize insti- tutional racism is racist in itself.
He doesn’t seem to under- stand that he just cannot wipe away the facts, because we live it every day. Racism is a thread woven throughout American culture since 1619, when colonists brutalized and en- slaved Africans and firmly en- shrined the idea of white supremacy in the new nation. The 1619 Project is another detailed record of our sad racial legacy of hate. He re- fuses to accept those facts.
But more disturbing is De- Santis’ obsession with deny- ing the facts and attempting to rewrite history using the pub- lic schools. It is a sobering strategy that, if implemented, would result in violating the tenet of education: teaching the truth. Very telling is who DeSantis has engaged in helping with curriculum — Betsy DeVos, a sworn enemy of public schools. The project represents history denial and the expenditure of dwindling state dollars to create a small group spreading misinforma- tion. We need to stand to- gether as we have in the past and call out the governor’s ap- parent attempt to weaponize race or sanitize our history.
I'm not one to mince words. This policy is a danger- ous attempt to continue a racist and divisive mantra in Florida public schools. It is clear that people want our democracy to be inclusive for all. That is what defines it. Racism comes in many forms, and it is the most egregious form of hate.
Rather than divide us, I call on the governor to work with us to move Florida forward. We must continue to learn from the past, not deny it.
Adora Obi Nweze serves as president of the NAACP Florida State Con- ference. She spent decades as a classroom teacher and administra- tor in Florida’s public schools.
House Bill 37 – Sponsored By Rep. Driskell To Investigate African- American Cemeteries Passes Unanimously Through First Committee
House Bill 37, sponsored by State Representative Fen- trice Driskell (District 63- Tampa) known as the “Abandoned Cemeteries Bill,” passed unanimously with bi- partisan support by a vote of 15-0 in the Government Oper- ations Subcommittee of the Florida House on Wednesday.
The bill addresses the mul- titude of abandoned African- American cemeteries located throughout the state of Florida by creating a plan to investi- gate, research, and seek place- ment of historical markers at these solemn locations.
HB 37 will create a Task Force on Abandoned African- American cemeteries, requir- ing the Department of State to contract with University of South Florida and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University for identification and location of eligible next of kin.
African-Americans have historically been subjected to discriminatory practices such as limitations on burying the dead, resulting in segregated burial grounds. Unlike major- ity white burial grounds and cemeteries, African-American cemeteries were not given the protections or regulations nec- essary to honor the deceased. Consequently, many aban- doned African-American cemeteries and burial grounds have been found throughout Florida after years of neglect as land is being redeveloped or has been sold.
Upon the successful pas- sage of HB 37 in the Govern- ment Operations Subcommittee, Representa- tive Driskell stated, “I am
honored to serve as the House sponsor for HB 37, which will bring our state one step closer to honoring African-Americans who were discriminated against even in death, their graves forgotten over time and sometimes even built over. While we cannot change the past, we can do our best in present times to remedy his- torical wrongs and secure the respect and dignity that is owed to every Floridian re- gardless of race or ethnicity, even to those who have passed on before us.”
The impetus for HB 37 was the discovery of the former Zion Cemetery in Tampa Heights and the former Ridge- wood Cemetery on the grounds of C. Leon King High School, both in Hillsborough County. HB 37 is now eligible to be heard in its second committee stop, the Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Sub- committee.
(State Representative Fentrice Driskell represents Florida House District 63, which is located in Hillsbor- ough County and includes the Tampa-area communities of Carrollwood, Lake Magda- lene, Lutz, University, New Tampa, and Pebble Creek.)
REP. FENTRICE DRISKELL
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