SURPRISES ALL LIVE THIS WEEK IN SOUTH FLORIDA. >> GOOD SUNDAY MORNING, I’M
GLENNA MILBERG, WELCOME ABOARD.
WE BEGIN WITH AN EPIC CLASH OVER
THE HISTORY COURSE THAT PUT
FLORIDA IN THE NATIONAL
SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK.
THE BLOW AK-- BLOW BACK WAS FAST
AND FURIOUS EVEN BEFORE DETAILS
OF THE NEW AP ADVANCE PLACEMENT
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY COURSE
AND THE REASON IT WAS REJECTED
BECAME PUBLIC.
STATE ADMINISTRATORS SEE
VIOLATIONS OF NEW LAW IN THE
CURRICULUM.
BLACK LEADERS GIVE VOICE TO
FEARS OF A WHITE WASHING OF
HISTORY AND CULTURE, THAT AP
COURSE IS CURRENTLY TAUGHT IN A
FEW DOZEN SCHOOLS AS A PILOT
ROLLOUT BUT THIS WEEK COLLEGE
BOARD, THE ORGANIZATION THAT
CREATES AP CURRICULUM AGREED TO
REVITS THE CONTENT AND BRING IT
BACK TO THE FLORIDA EDUCATION
ADMINISTRATORS TO RECONSIDER.
>> CHEVRON JONES DEMOCRAT FOR
NORTHEAST MIAMI DADE NOW, TIP OF
THE SPEER FOR A GATHERING IN
TALLAHASSEE THIS WEEK THAT
INCLUDED THRTS OF LAWSUITS
AGAINST THE STATE FOR THE
EXCLUSION.
SENATOR JONES, WELCOME, GOOD
MORNING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME, GLENNA.
>> SO I WANT TO GET YOUR SORT OF
HINDSIGHT PERSPECTIVE.
THIS ALL BECAME PART OF
FLORIDA’S CURRENT CULTURE WARS,
REALLY, EVEN BEFORE ANYONE SAW
THE ACTUAL SYLLABUS.
SO HAVE THINGS CHANGED NOW THAT
DETAILS OF WHAT THIS COURSE
INCLUDES HAS COME OUT?
>> WELL, GLENNA, I DON’T THINK
THINGS HAVE CHAKED FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR AND
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
BECAUSE I THINK THEY WERE
EXTREMELY CLEAR IN THE
BEGINNING.
AND WHAT THEY SAID.
AND THAT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
STUDIES BROUGHT NEW EDUCATIONAL
VALUES TO STUDENTS.
BUT THESE SCHOOLS FROM ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY, TWO HAPPEN TO BE
HERE WITHIN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA.
ALREADY PILOTED THESE PROGRAMS,
TEACHERS, PROFESSORS, EXPERTS
WITHIN THE FIELD OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES.
THEY HAVE PRESENTED EVERYTHING
TO THE DEPARTMENT TO SHOW THAT
IT WAS QUALITY INFORMATION THAT
STUDENTS NEED, THAT STUDENTS WHO
OPT IN TO TAKE THIS CLASS SHOULD
LEARN TO TAKE THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES QULANS
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
THIS HAS BEEN SORT OF IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE POLITICAL FIRE
STORM THIS WEEK, AND I WANT TO
TRY TO COME OUT OF THAT POLITICS
PERSPECTIVE AND TAKE A LOOK AT
THIS KIND OF SEXUALLY BECAUSE
THERE IS NO DOUBT THE PERCEPTION
AND FEAR HAS JUST LIKE A CRISIS
LEVEL AT THE MOMENT, BUT WHAT
YOU JUST REFERENCED, THE
GOVERNOR FIRST SAID THERE’S NO
EDUCATIONAL VALUE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS SORT OF THE
TRIP OF THE HAND GRENADE.
BUT THEN LOOKING BACK, THE REAL
STORY OF WHY THIS WAS REJECTED
WAS BECAUSE OF VERY SPECIFIC AND
CERTAIN PIECES OF THE CURRICULUM
THAT INVOLVED BLACK QUEER STUDY.
AND WRITERS WHO HAVE BEEN
COMMUNIST OR MARXIST WITHOUT THE
OTHER SIDE INCLUDED IN THE
CURRICULUM.
AND THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC
THINGS IN THERE.
AND THAT ACTUALLY DOES VIOLATE
CURRENT STATE LAW.
LOVE OR HATE THE LAW STRKS THE
LAW.
AND THOSE THINGS REALLY DO NOT
COME PORT WITH THAT.
IS THAT A VALID OBSERVATION?
>> I THINK IT’S A VALID
OBSERVATION BUT I ALSO THINK ITS
HE’S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT IN
1994 WHEN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
STUDIES WAS DEEMED THE LAW OF
THE LAND HERE IN FLORIDA, AND
THEN FAST FORWARD TO 2018, WITH
STOP THE ROLLBACK, NOW YOU ARE
REFEREEING HOW THAT SAME
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES SHOULD
BE TAUGHT.
I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
THESE THEMES IN WHICH THE
GOVERNOR IS TALKING ABOUT.
QUEER THEORY, BLACK LIVES, LIVES
MATTER MOVEMENT, THE ABOLISHING
OF JAILS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT IT THE
GOVERNOR PUT OUT CAME AFTER THE
FACT BECAUSE ON THE FOREFRONT OF
IT IS THE GOVERNOR AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THEY
SAID WHAT THEY SAID.
AND THAT WAS THE EDUCATION, THAT
THIS BROUGHT NO EDUCATIONAL
VALUE IT WASN’T JUST AFTER THE
FACT THAT THEY SAID QUEER THEORY
IS IN HERE WHICH VIOLATES THE
LAW, BLACK LIVERS MATTER
MOVEMENT VIOLATES THE LAW.
BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO
JUSTIFY EVERYTHING THAT THEY
KNOW IS WRONG, THAT SHOULDN’T
HAVE COME OUT IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
>> THAT’S WHY, I MEAN TO YOUR
POINT, THAT IS WHERE WHY I AM
SAYING, THIS HAS BECOME SUCH A
POLITICAL HOT TOPIC THAT IT SORT
OF IS LIKE THE FACTS OF IT GET
LOST IN THE SOUP.
SO WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU IS THE
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
ACTUALLY DOES MANDATE BLACK
HISTORY STUDIES.
AND I PULLED THE CURRICULUM THAT
IS CURRENTLY BEING TAUGHT.
THERE IS BLACK HISTORY, CIVIL
RIGHTS, BLACK POWER MOVEMENT.
THERE IS THE ENSLAVED
EXPERIENCE,-- ASSESS HOW JIM
CROW LAWS INFLUENCE LIFE FOR
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
WRITINGS BUT MALCOLM X AND BLACK
PANTHERS.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHAT
CURRENTLY IS NOT BEING TAUGHT TO
FLORIDA STUDENTS THAT THIS
COURSE WOULD MAKE GOOD ON?
>> WELL, GLENNA, I THINK IT’S
IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT
DURING SURVEY IT WAS SHOWN THAT
TRULY ONLY 12 COUNTIES IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA ARE ACTUALLY
TEACHING BLACK HISTORY.
>> WOULD THAT THEN BE A
VIOLATION OF THE STATE MANDATE
THOUGH?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF THE
STATE MANDATE, AS WE KNOW THE
STATE IS NOT TRYING TO
SIGNIFICANT OUT WHAT COUNTIES
ARE TEACHING BLACK HISTORY AND
WHICH COUNTIES ARE NOT TEACHING
BLACK HISTORY.
AND THAT IS WHY WE WHERE HERE IN
SQUARE ONE.
>> SO LET ME GO BACK TO THAT
QUESTION, IS THERE, ASIDE FROM
THESE 12 COUNTIES, I DON’T KNOW
WHAT THOSE 12 COUNTIES ARE,
MAYBE YOU DO.
I KNOW IN SOUTH FLORIDA, DADE,
BROWARD MONROE THOSE THINGS ARE
IN THE CURRICULUM.
IS, DO YOU THINK LET LET ME POSE
THE QUESTION THIS WAY.
DO YOU THINK THROR DA STUDENTS,
SOUTH FLORIDA STUDENTS ARE
ILL-SERVED OR NOT BEING SERVED
BY CURRENT CURRICULUM?
>> I THINK THAT STUDENTS WHETHER
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES,
WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
JEWISH HISTORY, ASIAN HISTORY,
WHEN ARE YOU NOT TEACHING
STUDENTS THE FACTS, AND NOT
TEACHING THEM THEIR HISTORY,
THEY ARE BOUND TO REPEAT IT.
I BELIEVE THAT IS IMPORTANT THAT
THE ENTIRE STORY IS TOLD TO OUR
CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT
COMES TO OUR SCURRIC LUM.
REMEMBER THESE CURRICULUMS ARE
DONE BY EXPERTS, TEACHERS COME
IN TO PUT TOGETHER THESE
CURRICULUMS.
AND SO TAKING ANY PART OF A
CURRICULUM THAT HAS BEEN VETTED,
THOUGHT THROUGH BY EXPERTS AND
POLITICIANS THEN DECIDING WHAT
SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE TAUGHT,
I THINK IT IS INSENSITIVE TO THE
PEOPLE WHO PUT THE TIME AND
EFFORT IN TO CREATE THESE
CURRICULUMS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> AND SOME OF THEM, AT LEAST
ONE OF THEM, A GENTLEMAN WHO
WORKED AT FELIX VERELLA HIGH
SCHOOL WHO WE HOPED TO GET ON
THE SHOW WAS PART OF, AT LEAST
ON THE LIST OF PART OF WRITING
THIS CURRICULUM.
SO I JUST WANT TO SORT OF GET
PERSONAL WITH YOU FOR A MOMENT
BECAUSE YOU HAVE OPENED THE DOOR
TO THAT PUBLICLY OVER THE LAST
SESSION WHEN THERE WERE A LOT OF
THINGS THAT AFFECTED A LOT OF
PEOPLE VERY PERSONALLY, WERE
BEING BANTIED ABOUT, BE IT THE
GAY RIGHTS, PARENTAL RIGHTS IN
SCHOOL AND ALL THE EDUCATIONAL
CURRICULUM.
YOU STOOD UP, YOU PUBLICLY GAVE
SOME VERY PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF
YOURSELF AS A BLACK GAY
LEGISLATOR.
AND THEN YOUR COLLEGES VOTED TO
ENSHRINE SOME LAWS AND IT IS THE
OUTS RIGHT NOW, PART OF WHICH
WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE
LAST SEVEN MINUTES.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WHAT IS TO
COME IN THIS UPCOMING SESSION?
>> WELL, I THINK THE GOVERNOR
HAS ALREADY GIVEN THE TONE AND
TENOR OF WHAT THE NEXT
LEGISLATE-- NEXT LEGISLATIVE
SESSION IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
LAST YEAR THERE WAS THE ATTACK
ON LGBTQ MEN AND WOMEN AND WHILE
THAT WAS BEING DONE, ON ONE HAND
THE GOVERNOR WAS GIVEN TAX
BREAKS TO BIG CORPORATIONS, THIS
YEAR IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS GOING
TO BE AN ATTACK ON BLACK PEOPLE,
WHILE THEY ALSO PLAN TO CONTINUE
TO STRIP WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO
CHOOSE AND PUT FURTHER
RESTRICTIONS ON CITIES AND COUNT
HE-- COUNTIES TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE RENT CONTROL FOR
FLORIDIANS.
WHILE THEY DANGLE THIS CARROT OF
CULTURE WAR, ON ITS OTHER HAND
THEY ARE TAKING RIGHTS AWAY FROM
FLORIDIANS BSZ, AND TRUTH BE
TOLD, I THINK EVERYONE ACROSS
THIS NATION SHOULD BE WATCHING
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FLORIDA.
BECAUSE IF IT CAN HAPPEN IN
FLORIDA, IT CAN HAPPEN IN TEXAS
T CAN HAPPEN IN TENNESSEE, IN
COLORADO.
AND SO I THINK THAT WHAT THE
GOVERNOR AND REPUBLICANS ARE
DOING CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA, PEOPLE SHOULD
BE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO.
THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WILL
SET THE TONE FOR THE COUNTRY.
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT.
>> WE ACTUALLY ARE WATCHING.
CAN YOU GIVE US A COUPLE OF
MINUTES?
WE ARE GOING TO HIT A COMMERCIAL
BREAK AND WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK.
AND I REALLY WANT TO TALK MORE
ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM.
ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM. STAY >> WE ARE BACK TALKING WITH
FLORIDA STATE SENATOR CHEVRON
JONES ABOUT THE AP
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY COURSE
THAT WAS REJECTED BY THE STATE
AND THE BLOWBACK THAT ENSUED.
THIS WEEK, SENATOR, I WANTED TO
ASK YOU, YOU HAD TWEETED
SOMETHING ABOUT HOW SOME AP
COURSES THAT WERE NOT REJECTED
INCLUDE JAPANESE HISTORY,
GERMAN, OTHER EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES, HISTORY, ITALIAN
HISTORY.
HAVE YOU SEEN, WHAT IS THE
FLURRAL OF SYLLABUS, YOU HAVE
SEEN THE SYLLIBI OF THOSE
COURSES.
>> I HAVE NOT SEEN THE SYLLABUS
OF THOSE COURSES BUT I DO KNOW
THAT THE SILLABI FOR THE COURSE
FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES
THEY USED THOSE OTHER COURSES
FOR THE FRAMEWORK TO CREATE THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES
FRAMEWORK.
TALKING FROM THE VERY TIME OF
EXISTENCE UP UNTIL PRESENT DAY.
SO THEY, YEAH, THEY, THERE WAS A
PRECEDENT FOR THE FRAMEWORK IN
WHICH THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
STUDIES HAD BEEN FOLLOWED.
>> AND SO NOW THAT COLLEGE BOARD
WHICH REALLY HAS NOT BEEN VERY
VOCAL AND PUBLIC THIS WEEK ABOUT
WHAT IS TO COME.
BUT DID SAY THAT THEY WOULD
REVISIT THIS CURRICULUM OR THIS
PARTICULAR COURSE, BRING IT BACK
TO FLORIDA EDUCATION
ADMINISTRATORS FOR
RECONSIDERATION.
DO YOU CONSIDER THAT, I DON’T
WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.
HOW DO YOU CONSIDER THAT.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT.
THE COLLEGE BOARD ACTUALLY WROTE
A LETTER TO ITS MEMBERS AND THEY
MADE IT CLEAR THAT ON FEBRUARY
1S, WHICH IS THE FIRST DAY OF
BLACK HISTORY MONTH, THAT THEY
WERE GOING TO RELEASE THE
OFFICIAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE AP
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE.
AND THEY MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY
HAD WORKED AND PLANNED FOR THIS
DAY FOR MANY MONTHS.
AND THEY WERE GOING TO WORK TO
MAKE SURE THEY GET THE TRUST OF
THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND PEOPLE
FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE IT IS NOT NEW, THEY ARE NOT
NEW TO THIS EITHER.
SO THAT IS WHY THIS WHOLE IDEA
AND WHOLE CONCEPT THAT THE STATE
OF FLORIDA IS MOVING IN, TALKING
ABOUT WOKISM, TALKING ABOUT
INDOCTRINATION, TELLING KIDS,
STUDENTS WHAT THEY CAN AND
CANNOT LEARN IN A COURSE IS
DANGEROUS ON THE SURFACE.
I THINK THE COLLEGE BOARD EVEN
KNOWS THAT.
I DON’T BELIEVE THE COLLEGE
BOARD IS GOING TO CHANGE THEIR
CURRICULUM BECAUSE OF THE STATE
OF FLORIDA.
I JUST REALLY TRULY DOUBT IT.
>> SO THEN WHAT ARE THEY
CHANGING AS THEY SAY THEY ARE
FOR RECONSIDERATION?
>> WELL, BASED ON THE LETTER
THAT CAME FROM THE COLLEGE
BOARD, THEY JUST SAY THAT THEY
ARE GOING TO PUT OUT THE
FRAMEWORK BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT
OF TIME THAT THE EXPERTS WHO
WERE DOING THIS CURRICULUM, THAT
THEY PUT INTO THIS.
THIS WAS ALMOST A YEAR WORTH OF
PILOTING THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS AND PROFESSORS AND
EXPERTS.
YOU CAN’T HAVE ONE PERSON COME
WHO SAY OH, WELL I DON’T LIKE
THIS AND SAY IT CAN’T BE TAUGHT.
THAT IS NOT HOW THIS WORKS, YOU
ARE NOLT A DICTATOR OR
AUTHORITARIAN REGIME THING ARE
YOU TRYING TO DO IN FLORIDA, IT
DOES NOT WORK IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> SO THE WOKE INDOCTRINATION,
THAT HAS BECOME, THAT IS ALMOST
LIKE THIS POLITICAL SEASON
SOCIALISM WHICH WAS LAST
POLITICAL SEASON.
AND THOSE THINGS HAVE MEANINGS
BUT THEY SORT OF ENTER THE
POLITICAL LEXICON AS CRITICISM
IN RHETORIC.
AND KIND OF OF A BAITING OF
SORTS.
WE ARE DIVIDED STATE, NO DOUBT.
SO "WOKE" I THINK STARTED OUT AS
KIND OF A COMPLIMENT, PEOPLE WHO
WERE AWARE, NEWLY AWARE OF
THINGS.
INDOCTRINATION SORT OF IS AN
INTERESTING WORD BECAUSE WHEN
YOU LOOK AT SOME OF-- LIKE WHEN
THE GOVERNOR LOOKS OR TALKS
ABOUT BLACK QUEER THEORY, HER IS
A MAN WHO HAS THREE LITTLE KIDS.
AND HE SPEAKS FOR A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHO SEE THAT AND ARE
AFRAID OF WHAT THEY DON’T KNOW.
SO HOW DO YOU GET PAST THAT?
>> WELL, THE HARD PART ABOUT ALL
OF THIS IS YOU ARE RIGHT, THE
GOVERNOR AND THE REPUBLICANS
ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, THEY ARE
USING TERMS LIKE WOKE, LIKE
INDOCTRINATION.
WOKE, TO BE PARTICULAR, WAS A
WORD THAT WAS USED BACK IN THE
1930S, AND BROUGHT BACK IN IN
2013 WITH THE UPRISING OF POLICE
VIOLENCE IT WAS USED TO TELL
AFRICAN-AMERICANS TO STAY
VIGILANT ABOUT POLICIES THAT
WERE COMING ACROSS FROM ELECTED
OFFICIALS IN DIFFERENT STATES.
AND NOW IT’S BEING TERMED AND
MANY ARE MAKING IT A TERM THAT
IS REALLY RALLYING UP A BASE.
WHERE IN ACTUALITY,
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, BLACK PEOPLE,
WE STILL LOOK AT SAYING WOKE AS
WHAT IT IS, BEING VIGILANT ABOUT
WHAT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
AND I THINK IT IS DANGEROUS WHAT
WE ARE SEEING BECAUSE IT IS
TRULY TAKING US BACK INTO A TIME
THAT WE, AND I SAY WE BECAUSE
BLACK, WHITE, JEW, GAY,
STRAIGHT, FOUGHT EXTREMELY HARD
TO GET US OUT OF A TEAM TO THE
CIVIL RIGHT MOVEMENT TO A PLACE
WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE
REGRESSING AND BLACK PEOPLE,
LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE BEING A
POLITICAL PUNCHING BAG FOR THE
GOVERNOR TO USE ON HIS RISE TO
NATIONAL POWER.
>> IS THE ONUS NOW FOLLOWS A LOT
TO FLORIDA PARENTS TO TEACH
THEIR KIDS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A
LOT OF WHAT SOME OF THOSE LAWS
HAVE AS A GOAL.
>> WELL, I DON’T DISAGREE THAT
PARENTS SHOULD HAVE A
VERY-- SUDDEN HAVE THEIR HANDS
IN THEIR CHILD’S EDUCATION.
BUT THE PARENTS IN THERE
CHOOSING THE SCHOOL FOR A
REASON, TO BE ABLE TO EXPLORE
WHAT THEY ARE TAUGHT AT HOME.
AND YOU ARE RIGHT, THERE IS A
SENSE OF OPPORTUNITY FOR
COMMUNITY TO START TEACHING
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES, BUT
THAT DOES NOT GIVE AN AN OUT TO
THE STATE TO REJECT AP
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES, WHICH
FOR A STUDENT TO BE ABLE TO
EXPLORE IN THE WORLD OF
ACADEMIA.
>> I THINK THIS WEEK WE ARE ARE
ABLE TO SEE THE ROLLOUT OF
WHATEVER COLLEGE BOARD COMES OUT
NEXT.
WE’LL BE WATCHING THAT, STATE
SENATOR CHEVRON JONES, ALWAYS