Controversial Legislation Targets Vice President in Teaching of Slavery History

The Kamala Harris Truth in Slavery Teaching Act has sparked controversy in the Senate and House as lawmakers debate the partisan spin on teaching about America’s brutal historical era of slavery. The bill, filed as SB 1192 and HB 1139, aims to require instruction on the history of African Americans to include a comprehensive account of the sociopolitical circumstances surrounding slavery, specifically highlighting which political parties supported slavery by adopting pro-slavery tenets.

The bill’s sponsors have made it clear that the intent is to shed light on the role of Southern Democrats in promoting human suffrage, with Senator Blaise Ingoglia citing Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent comments on Florida’s African-American history education standards as inspiration for the legislation. Harris had expressed the importance of teaching the truth to children, prompting the bill’s proponents to emphasize the Democrat Party’s historical ties to slavery and the formation of the Republican Party to abolish it.

Representative Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville legislator, highlighted the hidden history of the Democrat Party’s support for slavery, noting that many Black Americans, including herself, were unaware of this fact. The bill aims to expose these truths and educate the public on the political parties’ roles in perpetuating the heinous institution of slavery.

Harris’s visit to Jacksonville last Summer, where she criticized standards suggesting slavery had benefits for the enslaved, further fueled the debate. Governor Ron DeSantis dismissed her position as a “hoax” and accused her of pushing a fake narrative about Florida’s history.

As the Kamala Harris Truth in Slavery Teaching Act continues to generate controversy, lawmakers and educators are grappling with how best to teach America’s complex and painful history of slavery in a way that is accurate, comprehensive, and inclusive.