FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:February 1, 2023
Contact:
media@hispanicfederation.org
Latino, Black, Lgbtq+, Health Justice Nonprofit, Religious Leaders Join Together to Denounce Gov. Desantis’ Attack on AP African American Studies
Following Governor DeSantis’ decision to reject AP course on African American Studies, a diverse coalition of nonprofit leaders in Florida issued the following statements:
“The governor’s decision to reject AP African American studies is an attempt to devalue the rich history of an entire community and manipulate our educational system for political gain. The civil rights movement, racism, segregation, Afro-Latino representation, the American prison complex, queer theory, and everything associated with the African American experience is American History, and we cannot allow elected leaders to politicize its education in our schools. Hispanic Federation stands with the Black community in calling on the Governor to instead focus on protecting and expanding the quality and equitable education that our children deserve,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation.
“For 400 years, people have tried to erase our legacy and contributions to America. You cannot erase the visible scars left on our Black communities and our contributions despite the adversity we’ve faced. This State is not the first to attempt to cancel, erase, and reduce our presence. Our history is in our DNA and is visible in the achievements of our children and the great capacity our communities have to make our country great. The Department of Education will not stop our growth as a community. Despite its attempts to eliminate our suffering, the State will not erase our sacred history as we share it in our homes, churches, and shared community. Our legacy is our success as a Black community despite years of oppression and adversity. As a community, we will ensure that the children of our community learn it so they may also be inspired to stand proud, succeed and flourish despite oppression,” said Lawanna Gelzer, President of A Coalition of 100 Black Women Central Florida.
“African American History is American History. It is a travesty and completely immoral for Governor Ron DeSantis to deny our youth from learning about the history in our country, which includes slavery, segregation, and the ongoing fight for human rights so racism can truly be only in our history books. We are bound to repeat history if we don’t reflect on it. As an immigrant justice organization, Hope CommUnity Center, stands in solidarity with our African American siblings simply fighting to be recognized as full human beings in our nation,” said Felipe Sousa Lazaballet, Executive Director of the Hope CommUnity Center.
“If the goal was truly to enforce the HB7 Individual Freedoms bill, also dubbed the Stop WOKE Act, then the governor should be supportive as the bill requires teaching African American history. His rejection reflects the true intention of this law and his actions – to erase our history, hide our failings and mistakes, and promote a raceless society while doing nothing to address the issues and systems that give weight to race in the first place. Hiding from our truth does not make it go away. Lying about our truth does not make it any less real. Dismissing our truth does not protect anyone, especially our children,” said Kimberly Allen, Chief Executive Officer of 904WARD INC.
“Racism is a social determinant of health. Florida's attempts to erase African American history does not just violate our duty to know our past; it is a racist affront and a very real threat to the physical and mental health of the 17 percent of Florida residents who identify as Black or African American. To heal from the wounds of history, and for all our residents to thrive, we must confront our past, in all its anguish and its beauty. Only when we do that can we imagine and work toward the society we want to become,” said Alison Yager, J.D., Executive Director of the Florida Health Justice Project.
"We are deeply concerned with the actions taken by the Florida Department of Education, which takes away from students the opportunity to voluntarily participate in an AP course on African American studies. Citing one of the reasons to ban the course, Governor DeSantis mentions that the course focuses on Queer studies. As an organization that works to empower LGBTQ+ communities in Florida, we find this not only disrespectful to those that live at the intersectionality of being a person of color and queer, but also dangerous as it continues to place a target on LGBTQ+ not only just in Florida, but across the nation," said Ricardo Negron-Almodovar, Co-Chair of Del Ambiente.
“History engages the best and worst of our shared human experience. Erasing history or prohibiting the shared remembrance of experiences shared by some community members is an affront to human dignity. All human suffering and adversity should be remembered and honored, even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. It is through the mystery of suffering and remembrance that repentance and change transform individuals and society. Denying and rejecting truth only serves to destroy, pervert, and decay our society. Only through honest debate and intellectual introspection of our past can our shared society mature and truly leave behind destructive behaviors that belong in the past,” said Rev. Dr. Jose Rodriguez, Vicar Iglesia Episcopal Jesús de Nazaret.
