For LaToya Tokley, a single mother of three from Tampa, Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign to cut down the curriculum of Black history in the state’s schools has not bothered her as much it has inspired her to take action. And many Black parents are with her.
Tokley, a public relations manager, had always made a point of sharing with her children their family history as well as accounts of Black life from bygone eras. “But this deliberate attempt to erase our past, as if it did not happen or is not important — when, in fact, is a critical part of telling America’s story — is really disgusting,” she said. “At the same time, DeSantis doesn’t understand what he’s doing. He is provoking Black parents to take the reins to educate their children on our history and relate it to what’s going on in the world today … And we are.”
With DeSantis leading the charge, Florida rejected a proposed Advanced Placement African American studies course because it discussed the topics of reparations, Black feminism and the Movement for Black Lives, among others, according to a list of concerns DeSantis’ office shared. On Jan. 12, the Florida Department of Education sent a letter to the College Board, which administers the class for high school students nationwide, informing them the course will not be offered in public schools across the state.
As for DeSantis, the Republican governor has said the proposed AP course “lacks educational value.”
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Many parents told NBC News that their disappointment and anger have shifted to a dogged determination to counter the bans by taking command of their children’s Black history education and using racially charged events as teaching platforms.
Read the full story on NBCNews.com
