Florida's academic standards distort the contributions that enslaved Africans made to American society
- Written by Rodney Coates, Professor of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Miami University
Enslaved Africans built landmarks like the White House, the U.S. Capitol and New York's Wall Street. Bettmann via Getty ImagesThe state of Florida ignited a controversy when it released a set of 2023 academic standards that require fifth graders to be taught that enslaved Black people in the U.S. “developed skills which, in some instances,...

