{"id":1988403,"date":"2023-08-02T03:02:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T07:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/leftists-dont-want-florida-kids-to-learn-about-these-former-slaves-self-made-success-stories\/"},"modified":"2023-08-02T03:05:04","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T07:05:04","slug":"leftists-dont-want-florida-kids-to-learn-about-these-former-slaves-self-made-success-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/leftists-dont-want-florida-kids-to-learn-about-these-former-slaves-self-made-success-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Leftists oppose teaching Florida kids about former slaves&#8217; self-made success stories."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fleftists-dont-want-florida-kids-to-learn-about-these-former-slaves-self-made-success-stories%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1988403&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>The Importance\u2063 of Teaching Black\u2063 History<\/h2>\n<p>The debate on\u2062 teaching black history \u2063\u2014 and the \u2062role slavery played \u2063in it \u2014 is front \u2064and center in the state of\u2062 Florida. While many on \u200dthe <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kamala-harris-florida-desantis-education-9ccbeac59d1f8289e1d8c9bccbff85a9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">left<\/a> (and now\u2063 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/07\/28\/politics\/tim-scott-desantis-florida-black-history\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">right<\/a>) lambast Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the\u2063 state Department of Education for their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fldoe.org\/core\/fileparse.php\/20653\/urlt\/6-4.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new history curriculum standards<\/a> \u2014 which teach that some former\u2064 slaves leveraged\u2062 skills gained during slavery for their own prosperity as \u200cfree men \u2014 it is clear that real history is under threat of being\u200d lost.<\/p>\n<p>American slavery was brutal,\u200d oppressive, and dehumanizing. It \u200bis a \u200dstain on our country\u2019s history that continues to plague us \u200dtoday. Slavery \u200dis a grave wrong against humanity. However, we seem to lack consensus on how to teach this sensitive subject.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Despite how insensitive some may believe it to be, some slaves did learn skilled trades \u2014 and they did use these skills to secure \u2064their\u2064 freedom. Some of these former slaves even went on \u2064to use these skills \u2064to buy freedom for their families and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gavin-newsom-signs-law-allowing-undocumented-california-residents-to-obtain-state-id\/\" title=\"Gavin Newsom Signs Law Allowing Undocumented California Residents To Obtain State ID\">build successful businesses<\/a>.\u2063 This is not an opinion but\u2064 a fact.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>For example, let us consider the stories of Free Frank McWorter, Henry Boyd, and Benjamin Thornton Montgomery.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Free Frank McWorter:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchablemuseum.com\/an-african-american-venturer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Born a slave in \u200cSouth Carolina in \u20621777<\/a>, McWorter worked odd jobs and side hustles in his spare time to save\u2064 up money to buy his freedom. Once free, he leaned on the business\u2062 skills he honed in <a href=\"https:\/\/rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov\/2023\/06\/16\/free-frank-mcworter-father-of-freedom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">negotiating<\/a> with his former slaver on the\u2062 frontier to make money. \u2063McWorter invested in\u2063 real \u2063estate and commercial farming. As a free man, he amassed a small\u200c fortune, bought the freedom\u2062 of his family members, \u2062and became the first black \u2062American to charter a new\u200b city inhabited by both black and white buyers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Henry Boyd:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchablemuseum.com\/henry-boyds-manufacturing-company\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Born \u200ca slave in Kentucky in 1802<\/a>, Boyd learned carpentry as a slave and used the skill to\u200b earn money to buy \u200bhis freedom. Once free, he became\u2064 a successful\u200c businessman\u200c and saved enough money to buy the freedom of his enslaved siblings. Boyd eventually started a furniture business, and his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/leftists-dont-want-florida-kids-to-learn-about-these-former-slaves-self-made-success-stories\/\" title=\"Leftists oppose teaching Florida kids about former slaves' self-made success stories.\">revolutionary steam-powered factory produced thousands<\/a> of\u200b bed frames. Unfortunately, his success\u2063 made him the frequent target of\u2062 racist arsonists that seriously crippled \u2063his business over time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Benjamin Thornton \u200cMontgomery:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/mississippiencyclopedia.org\/entries\/benjamin-thornton-montgomery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Born in Virginia in 1819<\/a>, Montgomery was trained to operate\u200d machinery, which he would later \u2063go on to \u200bdesign. He also\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/blackinventor.com\/benjamin-montgomery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">acquired knowledge<\/a> of land surveying and construction building as a slave. In \u200c1842, Montgomery\u2062 opened a retail store on the Hurricane Plantation that\u200c was \u2063so successful,\u2063 he eventually bought the plantation holdings in October 1866. In the Reconstruction era, Montgomery was appointed justice of the peace, becoming one of the first black men and former\u200c slaves to\u200c hold \u200cpublic\u2063 office in Mississippi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Admittedly, this is by no means an exhaustive <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalhumanitiescenter.org\/pds\/maai\/emancipation\/text1\/text1read.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">list<\/a> of \u2064those who garnered skills as slaves and leveraged\u2063 them for personal and familial benefit \u200clater in life. Historical records include numerous such accounts of black people accomplishing \u200camazing things despite racism. \u200cUndoubtedly,\u2064 some stories were never properly documented and\u200b may be lost to time.<\/p>\n<p>Yet\u200d these three stories highlight a more urgent concern \u2014\u200c in a rush to attack Florida and DeSantis, many have unwittingly attacked history itself.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/harris-florida-push-back-states-new-black-history\/story?id=101550270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Partisan individuals<\/a> and\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/race-politics\/4110599-black-leaders-condemn-floridas-new-education-guidelines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">groups<\/a> seeking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/knowles-the-bad-faith-debate-over-cancel-culture\/\" title=\"KNOWLES: The Bad Faith Debate Over \u2018Cancel Culture\u2019\">score political points<\/a> are openly \u200cadvocating for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/rep-byron-donalds-florida-correct-black-history-standards-slavery-rcna96573\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">erasing history<\/a>. Those\u200d blindly\u2064 attacking Florida\u2019s standards are purposely pushing the distorted \u200didea\u200b that the\u200b state is planning to teach children \u200cthat slavery was beneficial. This isn\u2019t true, and such an endeavor would\u2062 arguably be a violation of Florida \u2062 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.leg.state.fl.us\/statutes\/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&#038;URL=1000-1099\/1003\/Sections\/1003.42.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">state law<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These blind attacks are also\u2063 exceptionally disrespectful, implying the <a href=\"https:\/\/afroamfl.org\/task-force-members\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">black\u200d scholars<\/a> who\u200b devised the education standards\u2064 desired for students to\u2064 believe slavery was somehow beneficial to those enslaved.<\/p>\n<p>However, let\u2019s consider\u2062 the ramifications of refusing to teach the entire story of\u2063 slavery. This refusal would feed\u2062 into \u200ca nasty, flawed, and disgusting view\u2063 of black\u2064 American history that ultimately degrades\u2064 the contributions of blacks in early\u200d American society. It\u2019s hard to see how black Americans would be better served by such an erroneous approach.<\/p>\n<p>African American history is \u2063the story\u200c of a \u200cresilient people that \u200dpersevered through even the most unimaginable and challenging circumstances \u2014 and that \u2062is exactly how \u2062it should \u200cbe taught.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The teaching of black history and slavery&#8217;s significance is a contentious issue in Florida. Critics from both sides criticize Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Department of Education for their new curriculum standards. These standards acknowledge that some historical events may be uncomfortable, sparking debate and controversy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1184,"featured_media":1988404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1988403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1184"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1988403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988403\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1988404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1988403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1988403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1988403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}