Ryan Nicol
Sen. Shevrin Jones, a West Park Democrat, is calling out Republicans for leading a push to block critical race theory from being taught in Florida.
The theory teaches that racism is ingrained in certain political and social structures, and the effects of those systems persist in America. Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have decried the theory, arguing it promotes hatred of White people who have benefited from the systems the theory decries.
DeSantis has backed calls to ban the theory from being taught in public schools, though it’s typically taught at a college or graduate level, and not typically under the name “critical race theory,” which was coined by legal scholar Derrick Bell, not historians, in the 1970s. Republicans say they’re worried portions of the theory could trickle down to K-12 education and promote racial divisiveness. Monday, Jones argued they were simply concocting a new culture war.
“I dare any of my colleagues across the aisle to name a critical race theorist or cite relevant work taught in Florida public schools,” Jones said.
“Rather than ginning up faux outrage and manufacturing culture wars, I welcome those with an ‘R’ after their name to join me and others focused on addressing the actual bread-and-butter crises hurting Floridians.
Jones also argued the theory’s merits are worth discussing, especially amid an ongoing conversation about racial and social justice that picked up last year after George Floyd’s killing.
“Republicans’ apparent ban of ‘critical race theory’ is a dangerous attempt to whitewash and rewrite history for the sake of political expediency,” Jones said.
“This is not a real issue Florida families face in their daily lives, but just the latest dog whistle from the GOP as they map out a 2022 strategy to confuse and distract voters from the issues that really matter: job security and higher wages, affordable housing options, access to quality health care, sufficient funding for public education, protection of our fragile environment, and a more just justice system.”
Jones, a first-year Senator who also served eight years in the House, issued his comments the same day some of his Black Democrats called out Republicans for demonizing the theory.
4 comments
Ron Ogden
June 14, 2021 at 5:40 pm
“Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have decried the theory, arguing it promotes hatred of White people who have benefited from the systems the theory decries.”
Clever, Ryan, clever–but bogus. White people have not “benefited from the systems” any more than any culture that is the majority culture in its community benefits from systems it helps design and operate–the Bedouins in Arabia, the Han in China or the Kikuyus in Kenya. It is not a crime to be in the majority, and it is not racism to create a system that works and works well. The problem arises when people do not take advantage of it. Some times they are inhibited–but not always.
Zhombre
June 15, 2021 at 9:12 am
The outrage is not ‘faux;’ it is genuine and widespread and generated by parents whose children are subjected to this overt brainwashing.
Pancho Villar
June 15, 2021 at 9:44 am
There’s no easy way to critically examine that system and ask if this was a system has always “worked and worked well.” Court cases Dred Scott v. Sanford, Korematsu v. US, and Plessy v. Ferguson are just some examples of the US Supreme Court upholding systemic, unequal treatment of US citizens. There are modern day ramifications to instances where our system didn’t work or work well for all US citizens. We’ve got to be able to critically examine history to learn from it.
Thomas D James
June 15, 2021 at 1:58 pm
Shevron is a racist black fruitcake who could only get elected in a cesspool county like Broward. The guy hates police and white people. Just go back and check his comments in the Sun Sentinel. Just another far left liberal Marxist who wants to tear down our country out of spite. Thank God he has ZERO power in Tallahassee.
Comments are closed.