DeSantis signs law supporting African American history with new partnership

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a new law that aims to support African American history through a new state partnership.

SB 592 establishes a new partnership with the Florida Department of State and Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network.

The partnership aims to preserve “Black and African-American history” via supporting archives, museums and galleries.

“FAAHPN serves as an informational and technical assistance resource in response to a growing interest in preserving Florida’s African American culture, that of the African Diaspora and that of other related ethnically diverse historic resources globally,” the group’s website states.

The law also requires the African American history organization to submit a list of member museums, which the department can then verify and provide “funding and support.”

The legislation was filed by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills; and Reps. Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, and Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg.

It will take effect July 1.

DeSantis has been criticized for his policies regarding Black history, even though the state requires its teaching.

False claims also recently spread that parents need to give their children permission to learn about Black history.

Last year, controversy sparked over Florida rejecting an AP African American history course. However, DeSantis and his administration had pointed out it was rejected because of “radical” ideologies espoused within the course.

“We want to do history,” he said. “That’s what our standards for, for Black history are. It’s just cut and dried history. You learn all the basics, you learn about the great figures and you know, I view it as American history. I don’t view it as separate history.”

Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said last year that the state’s standards “promote the teaching of accurate, detailed, and nuanced history free from political sanitation or indoctrination.”