The Assault on Black History and Culture

Changing Our Narrative

By Dave Devereaux

I’m not sure what issue Ron DeSantis has with the black community, but it would appear that it is big. He seems to have issues with anyone that does not look like him or believe what he believes. He has subsequently tried to squash any vestige of history and teachings to Florida school kids with his refusal to sign off on a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies, citing his decision to block the course because it includes black queer theory and the prison abolition movement. 

He stated that it does not meet Florida state standards. How he continues to garner much attention over what he does with Florida is a precursor of what he would focus on as a president. And honestly, that is very narrow, bigoted and frightening. 

The truth here is that he wants to act as if any part of this course did not exist in the way he likes it, rather than the fact of how it actually must be included and presented in an American history course. He has chipped away at certain books and discussions by banning both in certain venues. I cannot recall any time during my existence that such measures as book banning have been so prevalent. 

Though I am aware that this has occurred in history. DeSantis has his hand in so many areas that it must become quite challenging to even manage himself. He speaks like a racist about CRT or critical race theory and Wokeness. He has never provided any valid reason for his dislike of either. It almost appears that he has no clue of what either is at its core. Two ideas that have seldom, if ever been intellectually discussed in the Black community. We live both of them every day and these ideals have become an accepted mindset in our world and our culture, no need to talk about it.

Ron DeSantis is a blatant racist, rooted in the idea of abolishing all other cultural contributions to this country by his fervent attacks. I have tried not to hate politicians, but let’s face it, they appear to express their own agendas, misrepresent their policies while campaigning and always make excuses for why they cannot provide the support they promised before winning office. 

By the time you realize that you have an amoral fanatic in office, it is too late because you are stuck with them for the next four years. Says our last president. DeSantis might even be more dangerous. He could be Donald Trump 2.0 in his willingness to make his agenda America’s new normal, garnering ignorant followers along the way. As Trump created a pathway to free and unchecked racist expression, DeSantis appears to be tearing at a cultural angle to dismantle any historical progress that has been made to date by attacking history and educational policy. 

On all fronts, the Black community has to be on the defensive: race, culture, education, civil rights, health care and overall equality. However, we are tired and no longer willing to accept the lame excuses fed to us about our history. There appears to be an awakening within Black culture that dictates our voices be not only heard, but seen. But this time, unlike the civil rights era from 1954 to 1968, we are choosing different avenues to protest our dislike of whites overshadowing our ideas, beliefs and contributions. 

I am confused as to how you can talk about American history, yet tear the pages out of the books that include the contributions of Blacks. How can you teach history without actually including the facts of what took place? This will always be my quandary of people like DeSantis and the Florida legislative body. Such a mindset makes zero sense. 

We still protest peacefully and make our demands known, but we also refuse to support white norms in the workplace today by knocking down old beliefs and misconceptions with facts. We speak up when we disagree with what is being presented to us and we fight racism, misogyny and sexism with a renewed effort for a legal system that at least appears more balanced. We are creating and demonstrating that we can function without them and do so quite successfully. Before our disappointment was shared within our community, but today it is shared with the world. 

The biggest issue that many Blacks have expressed today is how we no longer care if other races like us, as they have all demonstrated horrible biases towards Blacks. Until Covid hit, many Blacks would never express dislike for other races in public, yet now we too have our public prejudices. Negative white attitudes toward Blacks led the way for other races to feel that it was alright to hate us too. 

Just as Trump’s presence in America permitted them to act on it, DeSantis is now setting the tone for an even stronger chorus of hatred toward certain groups. I can only speak for my people in stating that we will be heard and we will oppose those who don’t respect who we are, yet are so quick to misappropriate our culture for profit as well as our professional expertise. Gone are the days of the dominant culture being a single voice. It is becoming fragmented and ungainly as well.

Despite the Donald Trumps and Ron DeSantis’s of the world, the Black community will be a stronger and more vocal opposition to stupid, uneducated rhetoric that does not support our agenda. As we continue to research and discover even more of our history that was hidden and stolen from us, we are learning that we must lean on ourselves to address the issues with the Black community. Because waiting for anyone else to pay back, or apologize for their errant behaviors over history is not coming, at least not to our satisfaction. The sooner we abandon that expectation, the sooner we can begin to fix ourselves. 

I want to be clear that I am not racist, yet sometimes to defend oneself and one’s culture, there is no other way to express your ideas and belief than blatantly. If that offends, perhaps those offended should look in the mirror and observe what we have had to accept daily. It has come down to us creating our own normal… and that seems to be where we are.