Global Courant 2023-05-16 01:40:08
Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and likely US presidential candidate, says the programs aim to impose an “ideological agenda.”
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to block federal and state funding for programs aimed at ensuring diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) at public universities, fueling a conservative push against such initiatives.
DeSantis approved the measure Monday, condemning DEI programs as part of a “relatively recent” effort to impose an “ideological agenda” on educational institutions across the United States.
“DEI stands better for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination. And that has no place in our public institutions,” DeSantis said at a news conference.
The law marks the latest effort by DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential election in the coming weeks, to defend conservative social causes, including in education.
DeSantis is widely seen as the most serious challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, but his polls have faltered in recent weeks.
Florida’s governor has also imposed stricter restrictions on abortion and has helped set limits on discussions of sexuality and gender identity in classrooms.
In the past few years, many American universities have embraced DEI programs and training to enhance diversity in their ranks and better serve the needs of minority students and faculty.
Monday’s measure bans curricula that teach “identity politics” or “theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and are created to perpetuate social, political and economic inequalities.”
The legislation aims to curtail education that looks at US history through the lens of racism, a view known as critical race theory.
Proponents of diversity programs and critical race theory argue that they aim to counter institutional racism and teach an accurate version of history that highlights the barriers African Americans and other ethnic minorities have faced.
Governor DeSantis has just signed SB266/HB999. Below is our statement from when the bill was passed through the House Floor.
— Representative Anna V. Eskamani (@AnnaForFlorida) May 15, 2023
Democratic Senator Shevrin Jones of Florida denounced what he called DeSantis’s “overreach” in education. “Education should be about teaching kids how to think about problems, not how to think about problems,” Jones said.
“Exposure to diverse experiences and fresh perspectives encourages understanding and creativity. By limiting what students can learn, the state is actively suppressing students’ academic and intellectual freedom.”
Florida House member Anna Eskamani also called the bill a “witch hunt” after it was passed by the state legislature earlier this month.
“This is a destructive law that targets diverse students like me and our ability to thrive in higher education institutions,” Eskamani, who is of Iranian descent, said in a statement.
“It also suppresses academic freedom and adds conservative political orthodoxy to the classroom.”
