Rep. Byron Donalds, usually a reliable Republican, is taking major heat for siding with Democrats on a key issue.
The drama began to unfold early Wednesday morning when Donalds, a Trump supporter, posted a shocking tweet bashing Florida’s black history education standards.
“The new African-American standards in FL are good, robust, & accurate. That being said, the attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong & needs to be adjusted. That obviously wasn’t the goal & I have faith that FLDOE will correct this,” he tweeted.
Look:
The new African-American standards in FL are good, robust, & accurate. That being said, the attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong & needs to be adjusted. That obviously wasn’t the goal & I have faith that FLDOE will correct this.https://t.co/muq8zi1p85
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) July 26, 2023
But Florida’s black history education standards do not teach that slaves benefitted from slavery. Rather, they simply note that, amid all the suffering that slaves endured, some “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit” both while they were enslaved and also once they were freed.
According to Politico, the state education department has defended the standards “by asserting that they provide a comprehensive view of American history and show how slaves overcame horrendous conditions and weren’t just victims.”
The working group of experts who wrote the standards have also defended them. Take William Allen, a retired political science professor and former dean of James Madison College at Michigan State University. FYI, Allen is black.
“They [the slaves] benefited from the skills, not the slavery,” he told PolitiFact.
So why is Donalds making an issue out of this? Sadly, he’s echoing Democrats, who for a week or so now have been screeching about Florida’s new education standards.
Indeed, to hear Vice President Kamala Harris tell it, the standards explicitly teach that slavery was somehow overall beneficial for black Americans.
“[I]n the state of Florida, they decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery. They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it — we who share a collective experience in knowing we must honor history and our duty in the context of legacy,” she said in a recent speech.
And well, the fact that Donalds’ rhetoric matches that of Harris isn’t sitting well with the GOP base.
Look:
Did Kamala Harris write this tweet?
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) July 26, 2023
Pretty sad that you automatically side with the Whitehouse here.. why?
— Frog Capital (@FrogNews) July 26, 2023
These talking points sounded familiar, then I remembered where I heard them… Kamala Harris, the Democrats, and the Corporate Media pushing this narrative.
— Kyle Lamb (@kylamb8) July 26, 2023
Joining a Kamala Harris misinformation campaign like this is shameful. They’re no “attempt to feature” and if you read the standards you’d know that.
This is garbage.
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) July 26, 2023
Mr. Donalds,
The “goal” is to teach all of it, the horrific aspect and the fact that some of their own skills did help them to flourish, they started businesses and provided for their families and the community.
Why wouldn’t you want that fact taught?— ⚜ Paula ⚜ (@PaulaC_mj1981) July 27, 2023
Nice grift pic.twitter.com/1nPuVQhNDR
— Banana Republican (@KirkManIsHere) July 26, 2023
FYI, the man featured in the latter tweet is Allen.
Donalds eventually responded to the criticism late Wednesday by essentially doubling down and bashing his critics.
“What’s crazy to me is I expressed support for the vast majority of the new African American history standards and happened to oppose one sentence that seemed to dignify the skills gained by slaves as a result of their enslavement,” he tweeted.
“Anyone who can’t accurately interpret what I said is disingenuous and is desperately attempting to score political points. Just another reason why I’m proud to have endorsed President Donald J. Trump!” he added.
Look:
What’s crazy to me is I expressed support for the vast majority of the new African American history standards and happened to oppose one sentence that seemed to dignify the skills gained by slaves as a result of their enslavement.
Anyone who can’t accurately interpret what I… https://t.co/b6hqaSJtlp
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) July 27, 2023
Not surprisingly, the Republican congressman was ratioed on Twitter yet again.
All this said, he’s not the only Republican to side with Democrats on this issue. So has longshot Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson.
“The whole language acts like there’s some benefit to slavery, and that is impossible. It is wrong. That should never be conveyed in a textbook or in a lesson. It’s just flat-out wrong,” he said in a podcast interview Wednesday with Charlie Sykes.
“It’s like taking us back to the 50s or the Jim Crow days, and that’s the wrong direction for America. It is critically important that our young people understand what happened in the civil rights movement, what happened in the oppression of African-Americans all across the country,” he added.
He for his part hasn’t been rationed on Twitter, likely because very few Republicans consider him to be a fellow Republican anyway given his Democrat ways …
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.