By Ashley George
Florida Senate Bill (SB) 148, the legislation attempting to restrict teachings of critical race theory (CRT) in educational and employment settings, has ventured through its first obstacles of enactment, driven by Gov. Ron Desantis and his colleagues.
The bill, filed on Jan. 11, gained approval from the State Senate Education Committee, on Jan. 18.
Proponents argue that this is the initial step in the direction of dismantling any CRT lessons taught in public schools and private businesses.
The teachings of CRT are centered around the notion that racism, often highlighted in historical teachings, is persistent despite civil rights initiatives and that “colorblindness” is not the way to approach the subject. CRT suggests acknowledging disparities among marginalized groups through historical and social concepts.
Students at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg have thoughts on the bill and believe there could be a different agenda hiding behind the legislation.
“I feel like history is repeating itself,” graduate student Caden Small said. “We have seen this before, even in Florida recently — bills limiting every demographic. We are headed toward a direction that I don’t think is going to be beneficial for a lot of underrepresented groups in America.”
“I am a Black, Afro-Latino, bisexual man, so I’ve always been on the losing side of this, but it’s starting to become more of a reality. It is going to have negative effects because it’s a means of trying to control the next generation. This legislation is obviously targeted and we know who it’s toward,” Small said.
This bill is not the only one of its kind circulating the desks of Florida lawmakers. House Bill (HB) 7 is one that contains similar verbiage to SB 148, further emphasizing the stance taken by Desantis and supporters of the bills.
DeSantis has long endorsed the deletion of CRT in primary schools, despite its usual position as a law school-level course. Last December, he reiterated his stance on creating a bill targeted at these teachings, at the time naming it the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act.”
In the press conference, he also took jabs at districts that put out equity statements.
“When you hear ‘equity’ used, that is just a way for people to smuggle in their ideology,” DeSantis said.
HB 7 states that instructors would be allowed to have conversations surrounding racial oppression, segregation and discrimination, but goes on to say that instructors cannot utilize those lessons to “indoctrinate” students “inconsistent with the principles of this subsection or state.”
Rep. Ramon Alexander (D) spoke out against the Republican Party, the impact this bill has had on him as a Black American and the effect it will have on people of color.
“I hear about guilt and feeling a certain type of way, but you can only imagine how I feel, just reading the bill,” Alexender said. “I am an American and my voice matters just as much as your voice. My opinion matters just as much as your opinion. My reality matters just as much as your reality and you can’t handle the truth.”
HB 7 is awaiting action from the Education and Employment Committee on Feb. 8. Both bills are set to be enacted on July 1.
Ashley George is a senior in digital communications and multimedia journalism at USF St. Petersburg.
Yes all of a sudden Republicans are a bunch of Snowflakes who “can’t handle the truth”